Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
O’Neill to test Oaklawn waters
Trainer Doug O’Neill will have a startup stable of sorts at the Oaklawn Park meet, which opens in January.
O’Neill said Little Rock, Ark.-based businessman Mark Schlesinger and partners will stable some horses with him at Oaklawn. O’Neill said he will not relocate horses from his existing stable in Southern California.
“We’re starting our own little string at Oaklawn and giving it a test,” O’Neill said Tuesday.
“A few weeks into the meet we should be pretty set in the 15-to20 [horse] range. We’re going to bring a little bit of money to claim, too – have a little money there on the side to claim a few to run at that meet.”
O’Neill, who has shipped in for stakes at Oaklawn, said he started to look at the possibility of a string at the Hot Springs, Ark., track after officials from Oaklawn came to visit horsemen at Santa Anita.
“They were just really pumping up their track,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill said that Schlesinger, who is a longtime friend, told him if he opened up shop at Oaklawn he and some of his partners would give him horses to train. Schlesinger introduced O’Neill to Paul Reddam, and together O’Neill and Reddam have won the Kentucky Derby twice, with I’ll Have Another and Nyquist.
“Our main base will continue to be Southern California,” O’Neill said. “We are excited about putting our toe in the water for the Oaklawn meet.”
Cohen almost ready to return
Jockey David Cohen is nearing a return to race riding and plans to winter at the Oaklawn Park meet, which opens in January, he said Monday.
Cohen, 33, last rode Aug. 11, 2014, at Gulfstream. He has been working horses at Churchill Downs and intends to have his first mounts back at Fair Grounds before heading to Oaklawn.
Cohen was initially sidelined in February 2014 when he was kicked in the leg by a horse in the paddock at Aqueduct. The injuries to his leg healed, but personal matters delayed his intended return to the saddle.
“Besides the injury, I dealt with some personal things, my father – my best friend – passing away,” Cohen said. “And not too long after that my sister died. It was never a question of if I would return, but rather when.”
Cohen said he has spent time away from the track visiting with some of the members of his immediate family he had not seen in years due to his riding schedule. Cohen’s top wins include the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2006 with Proud Tower Too and the Travers in 2012 with Golden Ticket.
Cohen said he has been getting on horses at Churchill the last few weeks for trainers Karl Broberg, Wayne Catalano, Brad Cox, Robertino Diodoro, and Ron Moquett.
“The last three days, I probably worked seven each day and got on nine or 10 total,” Cohen said.
“I’m going to Fair Grounds prior to Oaklawn to ride just a handful of horses to let everyone at Oaklawn see me riding and see I’m active. I want to let them see I’m healthy and riding strong. They haven’t seen me ride in a while.”
Longtime agent Bill Castle will represent Cohen.
“He’s in a great place mentally and physically,” Castle said. “He’s looking forward to this.”
Direct Dial eyes Springboard
Gun Runner’s win in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 was not the final stakes win that day for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Direct Dial came through later in the evening in a $65,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes at Retama Park, winning his first stakes and possibly putting himself in position to run in the $400,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 17 at Remington Park.
The Springboard Mile will carry Kentucky Derby eligibility points for the first time this year.
Direct Dial won his debut in April at Keeneland and ran second in the $150,000 Tremont in June at Belmont Park. He earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 73 for winning his six-furlong division of the Texas Stallion Stakes in 1:10.59. The start was Direct Dial’s first since July.
“I am considering the Springboard Mile,” Asmussen said. “I did move him to Remington. He came back out of his comeback race in very good shape. We’ll see if he stretches out for the Springboard Mile.”
Direct Dial is a son of Too Much Bling who races for his breeder, W.S. Farish.
◗ Jockey Richard Eramia reached 2,000 wins in North America on Monday, when he captured the eighth race at Remington Park aboard Conquest Hiosilver.
Eramia, 38, won five national riding titles in his native Uruguay before moving his tack to the United States in 2005, where he has won five titles at Louisiana Downs and one at Lone Star Park. He plans to ride at Oaklawn following the close of the Remington meet Dec. 17.