Favorite will face accomplished field
HOT SPRINGS — Successful veterans and relative newcomers will race in the $150,000, 6-furlong American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn today.
Nine are entered in the American Beauty for fillies and mares 4 years old and up at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Post time is scheduled for 4:40 p.m.
One touted shipper with local connections will take on a field that includes Amy’s Challenge, winner of three Oaklawn stakes, including the 2019 American Beauty.
Frank’s Rockette (11 6-40), owned by Arkansas car dealer Frank Fletcher, will make her 4-year-old debut from the south Florida barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott as the 2-1 morning-line favorite. Frank’s Rockette finished second in Oaklawn’s Purple Martin Stakes last season before winning four consecutive sprints, three in graded stakes.
In her last start, Frank’s Rockette finished 11th in the 6-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint, a race won by Whitmore.
“It was a tough race,” Mott said of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. “Naturally, it was a step into deep water, but with that being said, she really didn’t seem to run her [best] race in there, either.”
Mott said when other factors are equal, he defers to stakes at Oaklawn because of Fletcher’s affection for his home-state racetrack.
“I always look at the Oaklawn schedule because Mr. Fletcher lives there,” Mott said. “If it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other and it looks like that there might be a race that suits us over there, I’m sure he would enjoy seeing them run at Oaklawn. That’s the reason we’re there.”
Amy’s Challenge (19 8-4-2), a 6-year-old daughter of Artie Schiller trained by Oaklawn regular Mac Robertson, is the 3-1 second choice in the program, followed by front-running Lady’s Island at 9-2.
Amy’s Challenge began her 2018, 3-year-old campaign at Oaklawn with a 6-furlong Dixie Belle Stakes win by a neck in a stretch-long battle with future Grade I winner Mia Mischief. That performance helped support the potential Robertson had seen from her two starts as a 2-year-old at Canterbury Park in Minnesota.
“We usually let her have her way, and she runs hard,” Robertson said. “We don’t try to get in her way much anymore. If she’s fit and ready to run, we just kind of let her be.”
Mott chose Florent Geroux, in his first full Oaklawn season, as Frank’s Rockette’s jockey. Geroux said he will ride with confidence but knows of the talent his filly will face.
“I know [Frank’s Rockette] is a very talented filly, but it is not an easy race,” Geroux said. “There are some in there that are a little bit older who are proven, too. With [mares] like Amy’s Challenge and others, it’s a pretty good race.”
Lady’s Island (34 17-5-4) — a 7-year-old daughter of Greatness trained by Georgina Baxter, with David Cabrera her listed rider — won the Grade III 6-furlong Sugar Swirl Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 12 in her last start.
The three favorites should run on or near the lead in the American Beauty.
“Most of the horses are going to be solid horses when they’re in a stakes race at Oaklawn,” Robertson said. “We’re just hoping we’re more solid than they are.”
Among the American Beauty long shots is Best Kept Secret — a 5-year-old daughter of Line of David trained by Robert Cline, with Kelsi Harr listed to ride. Best Kept Secret, 20-1 on the morning line, has sprinted on turf in her last three starts.
Cline said a shift back to dirt, a place close behind the front runners and reasonable improvement might make Best Kept Secret a dark horse.
“If I didn’t think she kind of somewhat fit in there, we wouldn’t be in there,” Cline said. “With the shorter field, we kind of thought she deserved the opportunity. There’s no reason to think my [mare] won’t show up, but she’s going to have to take a big step forward.”
Mott said Frank’s Rockette seems fitter this winter than she did at this stage last season.
“She’s actually seemed to have blossomed a little bit quicker this year,” Mott said. “Last year, she stayed a little light in the early part of the winter and really didn’t start looking good until like midsummer, but she seems like she’s carrying good flesh and doing quite well right at the moment.”