Sugar Shock Doing Fine After Sloppy Allowance

 

Anderson had considered scratching Sugar Shock from the mile race because of the possibility of an off track. Although the track was rated good, Sugar Shock was beaten 17 lengths as the 2-5 favorite under regular rider Channing Hill. Hill had pulled up Sugar Shock in last year’s $200,000 Iowa Oaks (G3) because she wasn’t handling the muddy surface, Anderson said. Friday marked first time in six Oaklawn starts that Sugar Shock failed to cross the wire first.

 

“She just threw her head up and said, ‘I didn’t like that stuff,’ ” Anderson said. “We had to do something.”

 

Sugar Shock was scratched from the $300,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 14 because Anderson feared the track would be off following torrential rain the previous two days. The track was rated good for the Azeri, which was the final major local prep for the $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 10. Anderson had hoped to use Friday’s race as a steppingstone to the Apple Blossom. Despite the setback, Anderson said the 4-year-old filly remains possible for the 1 1/16-mile race.

 

“Our plans have been the Apple Blossom all the time,” Anderson said. “We’ll see how it shakes out.”

 

Sugar Shock hadn’t started since winning the $100,000 American Beauty Stakes at 6 furlongs Jan. 24. She scored her biggest career victory in last year’s $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn.

Trainer Mac Robertson said he’s pointing multiple stakes winner Picko’s Pride for the $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 9. Picko’s Pride ran second in the 2013 Count Fleet and finished fourth in last year’s race, but hasn’t started since winning an allowance/optional claiming Sept. 27 at Delaware Park.

 

Picko’s Pride has recorded four workouts the last month at Oaklawn, including a half-mile bullet (:47.60) Wednesday.

 

“He worked good the other day,” Robertson said. “I was lucky we had a good track to work on. He runs good fresh.”

 

Robertson said Picko’s Pride, a 7-year-old son of Cactus Ridge, had a chip removed from a knee following his last start. “It was in the upper joint,” Robertson said. “He’s seems to have come back good from it.”

 

Picko’s Pride has an 8-6-1 record from 26 lifetime starts and earnings of $348,907.

 

Also pointing for the Count Fleet are Gentlemen’s Bet and Ivan Fallunovalot, the 1-2 finishers, respectively, in the $100,000 Hot Springs Stakes March 7.

 

Gentlemen’s Bet worked a half-mile in :52.20 after the renovation break Saturday morning. Ivan Fallunovalot is scheduled to work just after the track opens for training Sunday morning.