Warrior's Club will make his next start in Southwest Stakes
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Warrior’s Club will make his next start in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds Feb. 20, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Friday morning. The colt, who races for the non-profit Churchill Downs Racing Club, finished fourth in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 16 in his 2017 debut.
“We’ll give him another chance to see what he looks like,” Lukas said.
Lukas said he has yet to confirm a rider for Warrior’s Club, who recorded his biggest career victory in the $300,000 Spendthrift Stallion Stakes Oct. 30 at Churchill Downs.
Two-time Oaklawn riding champion Robby Albarado was aboard Warrior’s Club in the 1-mile Smarty Jones.
Lukas won the Southwest in 1992 with Big Sur, who upset winners of the first two Triple Crown races that year – Lil E. Tee (Kentucky Derby) and Pine Bluff (Preakness).
Other locally based horses pointing for the 1 1/16-mile Southwest are Uncontested and Petrov, first and second, respectively, in the Smarty Jones.
Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, who co-owns and trains Petrov, said he plans to breeze the colt Saturday or Sunday.
The Southwest is Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Derby prep race, a series that continues with the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 18 and $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 15.
Santana Nears Milestone
A riding double Thursday moved four-time defending riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. on the brink of a career Oaklawn milestone.
According to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering, Santana has 299 victories at Oaklawn after winning Thursday’s fifth race aboard favored Nikki’s Rose ($5) and seventh race aboard Fire Starter ($12.40). The 24-year-old jockey began riding at Oaklawn in 2011.
Santana set a single-season Oaklawn record for purse earnings last year ($4,064,073) and recorded his first Grade I victory aboard Creator in the $1 million Arkansas Derby. Through the first 13 race days this year, he has nine victories to rank fourth in the standings.
Santana is named on seven horses Friday.
Finish Lines
The track was rated fast for workouts Friday morning. … Alex Birzer recorded his 2,992nd career North American victory in Thursday’s second race aboard Counton Claire ($9.80), according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Birzer is trying to become the 174th jockey to reach 3,000 North American victories, according to Equibase. … Oaklawn reached 100 claims at the meet Thursday, the 13th day of racing. The claims have totaled $1,291,000. … Domain’s Rap, winner of the $125,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan. 13, is entered in Saturday’s fifth race, an allowance/optional claimer at a mile. … Scheduled post time for Sunday’s ninth and final race is 4:52 p.m. (Central). There is a special first post time of 1:05 p.m. for Super Bowl Sunday.
Source: Oaklawn Park
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