Rainbow Miss

Georgia’s Reward won the $100,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes for Arkansas-bred fillies at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs on Saturday.

HOT SPRINGS — Familiarity helps in most circumstances, including horse races.

Jockey David Cohen said he knew enough to know he could rely — at least in part — on the mental ability of Georgia’s Reward to put them in a position to cross the finish line first in the $100,000 6-furlong Rainbow Miss Stakes for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred fillies at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.

Georgia’s Reward, owned by Rita and Everette Young and trained by Ron Moquett, split horses down the stretch to win the Rainbow Miss by 1¾ lengths over Dutch Treat in second, a head in front of third-place Firewater Rocket.

“I know my filly,” Cohen said. “Regardless of where she’s placed, as long as she’s doing it with some reserve in the tank, that’s what you want her to do.”

It was Cohen’s first stakes victory in his first season at Oaklawn. It put him into a tie for second with first-year rider David Cabrera in Oaklawn’s jockey standings with 34 wins. Ricardo Santana, winner of Oaklawn’s past five riding titles, leads with 54.

Spunky Town set a pace at the start that nearly assured her the lead through the first quarter-mile in 21.77, with Firewater Rocket a half length back in second. Georgia’s Reward, by Warrior’s Reward, was in third, another length back. Dutch Treat, by Double Irish, was last in the field of five separated by a total of a bit more than 3 lengths.

Moquett’s assistant trainer Greta Kuntzweiler said she thought Georgia’s Reward would be closer to the lead, but Cohen said he let Georgia’s Reward make the call.

“Today, with the pace and the trip that we got, I was happy to be sitting in the catbird’s seat,” Cohen said. “She gave it just enough to sit off the hip of those front runners.”

Firewater Rocket pulled in front by half a length over Spunky Town through the half in 45.52 and seemed to have taken command. As the field turned for home, her lead was 1½ lengths, but Georgia’s Reward had pulled into second, with Dutch Treat a length back in third.

Georgia’s Reward began to romp into Firewater Rocket’s lead at the pole. By the 1/16th pole, Georgia’s Reward’s momentum carried her to the lead.

“She ran great,” Cohen said. “At the top of the lane it was a little tight, but when she kicked on from that, she really ran great. She really stretched her legs out and really leveled out that last 16th.”

Kuntzweiler, who rode KJ’s Girl to victory in the 2004 Rainbow Miss, said she was concerned about Georgia’s Reward’s chance to win at the head of the stretch.

“It was an amazing ride by David Cohen,” Kuntzweiler said. “I was totally worried, but then he just willed her through that hole and willed her to win.”

Most states with racing, including Arkansas, have programs that encourage the breeding and racing of thoroughbreds within their borders. Such programs establish races restricted to those horses, known throughout racing as state-bred races.

There are a total of five stakes for Arkansas-bred horses, including the Rainbow, won by Jerry Caroom’s Hoonani Road on Friday, and the Rainbow Miss, each sprints for 3-year-olds.

Occasional stars emerge from the state-bred ranks, among them Arkansas-bred horses by Nodouble, winner of the 1968 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn, the 1969 Santa Anita Handicap in California and the 1970 Metropolitan Handicap.

As for Georgia’s Reward, her next step remains unclear, which is typical for most 3-year-old horses, regardless of where they were bred.

“I’m not sure what we’ll do,” Kuntzweiler said.