King Cotton class is not hard to spot

HOT SPRINGS — Flagstaff, a 7-year-old gelded son of Speightstown, will start as the class of the short field in the $150,000, 6-furlong King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn today.

Post time for the King Cotton, for horses 4 years old and up, is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. It’s the eighth race on a nine-race card.

Flagstaff, with five wins and earnings of $555,785 in 15 career starts, won the Grade II, 7-furlong San Carlos Stakes at Southern California’s Santa Anita Park on March 7. In his last start, he ran gamely on the lead from the start to finish second by a head in the Grade II, 6-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes on Sept. 27.

“He’s got top-class form,” trainer John Sadler said.

Five others are entered to race Flagstaff, whose one career start at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort was a fast-closing second-place finish to Whitmore in last season’s Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. Flagstaff was last

out of the Count Fleet gate in the 11-horse field, but uncharacteristically kicked from 10 lengths back to within three-quarters of a length of Whitmore at the wire. Flagstaff has otherwise raced on or near the lead.

Florent Geroux is listed to ride Flagstaff.

“He looks good on paper,” Geroux said.

Recent performances and speed figures throughout the King Cotton field would leave few horsemen surprised by an upset, but each understands Flagstaff ’s advantage.

“Flagstaff is a pretty nice horse,” said John Ortiz, trainer of Mucho, who is 8-1 on the morning line. “He definitely has the figures for it.”

Mucho won at 6 furlongs against optional-claimers Jan. 22 on Oaklawn’s opening day.

“We’re coming back pretty quick,” Ortiz said. “We were using that last race more like a prep for this race, so it really worked out well when he won it.”

Ron Moquett trains Seven Nation Army, a 6-year-old gelded son of First Samurai who is 9-2 on the morning line. He is making his second career stakes start.

“We’re optimistic,” Moquett said. “We’re hoping he gets a good trip, and we can see how he fares against these guys. There’s some nice horses in there. We hope this gives us an idea of where we’re at.”

Joe Talamo is listed to ride Mucho and said he understands the advantage of class.

“Horses with class just know how to win,” Talamo said. “They just know what it takes.”

Moquett knows, too. “Class means a lot in races,” he said. “In horse racing, there’s just a natural pecking order of class. It always matters who horses have raced against more than how they did it.”

Regardless of class, Talamo thinks every horse in the field is talented enough to win. Mucho finished second in the 2018 Grade I Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“If he runs his last race that he ran at Oaklawn two weeks ago, he could be right there,” Talamo said.

Two entrants, Strike Power and Bolder, are from the barn of Steve Asmussen. Strike Power is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.

Mr. Jagermeister, a 6-year-old son of Atta Boy Roy trained by Valorie Lund, is the 4-1 fourth choice on the morning line and figures to push the pace with Flagstaff.

“That’s what we’re praying for,” Ortiz said. “We hope we can be there to pick up the pieces.

Talamo said he hopes for the same.

“There are three, arguably four, of them in there that could vie for the lead,” Talamo said. “That would be fantastic for us. [Mucho is] a horse that likes to sit back and make a run.”