Bobby's Wicked One gets new plan off a race 'too bad to be true'

While trainer Al Stall spent the day Monday getting his barn operation settled at Churchill Downs, he already has firm plans in place for two of his leading horses in Bobby's Wicked One and Real News

Bobby's Wicked One is aiming for the $100,000 Aristides Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for older horses on June 6. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown will be looking to rebound from an 11th-place finish in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn (G3) on April 18.

"We're just drawing a line through that poor race at Oaklawn," Stall said. "It was so bad of a race, it was too bad to be true. Se we're in a little bit of a state of shock over that. He came out of it like he didn't do anything -- which he didn't do anything. He'll have about a full month to get lined out, be ready for the Aristides."

Stall added that "some horses over the years have not liked Oaklawn, even thought they train well over (the surface). Hopefully, that's the case" with Bobby's Wicked One.

Owned by Autumn Hill Farms Racing Stable, Bobby's Wicked One has a record of 16: 6-4-1 with earnings of $545,423. The 5-year-old son of Speightstown earned his biggest win in last year's Commonwealth Stakes (G3) at Keeneland Race Course. 

For stakes winner Real News, a 4-year-old son of The Factor campaigned by Town and Country Racing LLC, the next stop will be a five-furlong allowance race for 3-year-olds and upwards a week earlier on May 29.

"Real News had a good breeze before he left Fair Grounds," Stall said Monday.

On Saturday, Real News breezed five furlongs in 1:01.00 at Fair Grounds, which was the seventh-fastest of 132 at the same distance.

Real News has won two straight races after a nearly six-month layoff. Most recently was a half-length score in January in a five-furlong turf sprint stakes at Sam Houston Park.