Hoonani trying to find form

HOT SPRINGS — The reigning Arkansas-bred champion has twice met his match this season and will face a field deep with contenders in his first 2020 stakes attempt.

Jerry Caroom’s Hoonani Road, a 5-year-old son of Jonesboro trained by Wayne Catalano, won his first seven career starts at Oaklawn, all state-bred races including the $100,000 6-furlong Nodouble Breeders’ stakes for Arkansas-bred horses 3-years-old and up and the $200,000 1 1/16-mile Arkansas Breeders’ Championship stakes last season, but is winless in two attempts this season.

Hoonani Road will attempt to defend his 2019 Nodouble title in the ninth of 10 races today at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Post time is scheduled for 5:09 p.m.

“He’s doing all right, but we know we have to get him back on form,” Catalano said. “We like him. He’s our favorite, as everybody knows. He’s doing good. He’s doing good. Now we just got to run him.”

Oaklawn has barred all but essential employees, horsemen, officials, security and medical personnel, and media members from its racing grounds since March 13 as its part in the global attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Hoonani Road’s winning streak at Oaklawn was stopped as the 1-1 favorite with a second-place finish to K J’s Nobility in a 6-furlong statebred allowance Feb. 22. He finished third at 2-5 to Bandit Point and J. E.’s Handmedown, first and second, respectively, in a 6-furlong optional-claiming race March 12.

“He was seven of seven at Oaklawn, but you know, just like all of us, you get a little slower as you get older,” Catalano said. “I don’t think he’s holding anything back.”

Bandit Point, K J’s Nobility, and Handmedown are set to join Hoonani Road in the Nodouble field of nine.

“It looks like there might be a few good ones in there,” Catalano said. “The horse that won that last one, [Bandit Point], is a nice horse. He’s got pretty good numbers.”

Bandit Point, a 5-year-old son of Indy Squall trained by Robert Cline, has a career record of 4-3-9 in 27 races but has been ridden by apprentice jockey Kelsi Harr to two wins in three starts at Oaklawn this season.

Harr’s first career win came on Bandit Point at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., on June 17, 2018.

“He’s my first win, the one I’ve won the most races on now,” Harr said. “He’s the big horse, my favorite.”

K J’s Nobility, a 6-yearold son of Primary Suspect, finished third in an open allowance race at Oaklawn on Jan. 26 and won by 2 lengths over Hoonani Road on Feb. 22. His trainer Cecil Borel, older brother of K J’s Nobility’s regular jockey Calvin Borel, said a handful of factors led him to skip a Nodouble prep on March 12.

Derrell Riggan’s Heritage Park, a 4-year-old son of Jersey Town trained by Kenny Smith, has won two of two starts in Arkansas-bred races at Oaklawn this season. They were his first two wins in a seven-race career.

Catalano said he expects a competitive race.

“It sure looks like it,” he said. “We’re starting to breed a better horse in Arkansas. Hoonani Road is a good horse, and last year he was running big numbers, and his numbers said he was faster, but they do catch up, and they’re starting to catch up.”