9-year-old Li’l Grazen puts five-race win streak on line

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Li’l Grazen celebrated her 9-yearold birthday last month by winning her fifth straight race. She’ll be looking to keep the streak alive Sunday, when the ageless mare goes for six in a row in the eighth race at Oaklawn Park.

The first-level allowance is for fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Li’l Grazen, who began racing in 2016, was claimed four times last year. Her current connections, owner John Holleman and trainer Robertino Diodoro, took her for $12,500 on Sept. 5 at Del Mar. Li’l Grazen won that day, her second victory in a streak that started Aug. 4 at Del Mar. She’s since won at Keeneland, Remington Park, and Oaklawn.

“She’s pretty tough,” Diodoro said. “She’s all racehorse. She’s a nice, big old mare and when they run as well as she does at her age, she just loves her job. She’s nice to have in the barn.”

Li’l Grazen has won 11 races from 49 starts and can go over $400,000 in earnings Sunday. Diodoro said there were a few different reasons for dropping a claim for the daughter of Grazen.

“She likes to win, and she was eligible for some starters and she had her [first-level allowance condition] left,” he said. “She did have a lot of wins on her form, but at the same time, she had some good conditions for Oaklawn. Those are a few of the reasons why we claimed her.”

Cristian Torres has the mount from post 7.

Diodoro also will saddle Violent Point, a seven-time winner who breaks from the rail under Ramsey Zimmerman.

“Hopefully, we get out and get away from there,” Diodoro said. “I definitely like shortening her up to five and a half. She’s a nice mare, too.”

Violent Point races for Surging Sky Ventures.

Sharp sprinters eye Whitmore

Cogburn launched his 4-yearold season with a sharp allowance win Feb. 5 at Oaklawn and is being pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Whitmore on March 18 at Oaklawn, trainer Steve Asmussen said.

In his first start since May, Cogburn covered six furlongs in 1:09.87 on Feb. 5 and equaled his best Beyer Speed Figure, a 95.

“Nice horse, nice comeback,” Asmussen said.

Osbourne is another 4-yearold who launched his season with an impressive allowance win at Oaklawn. He will be considered for a start in the Whitmore, trainer Ron Moquett said.

Osbourne covered six furlongs in 1:09.82 on Jan. 20 and earned a Beyer of 98.

“He’s been a very consistent horse, shown that he’s got some ability, and it looks like he’s ready to be a good 4-year-old,” Moquett said.

Moquett co-owns and trained Whitmore, the champion sprinter of 2020 who is now retired. An earner of $4.5 million, he is at a farm in Kentucky and will head to Arkansas probably in April, Moquett said.

These days, Whitmore has a job as wingman to a horse named Casanova.

“He has a mini-pony that lives with him,” Moquett said. “Whitmore’s a huge fan of the mini-pony. He really likes to protect him. He’s his new friend, his forever buddy.”

Moquett said his wife, Laura, and Whitmore are again planning to be involved in some of the aftercare show activities this year, like competitive trail.

Lone Rock training for return

Lone Rock, a marathon specialist who has earned more than $1.4 million, is nearing a return to racing. He was given time off after running third in the Birdstone on July 28 at Saratoga. Lone Rock resumed galloping at a training center before coming to trainer Robertino Diodoro at Oaklawn.

“I would say he’s about 30 days away from a race,” Diodoro said. “He had some bottom in him before he came to us. He’s on a steady work schedule now and doing well, seems very happy.”

Diodoro said Lone Rock might make the $150,000 Temperence Hill on April 2 at Oaklawn. He won the 1 1/2-mile race in 2022.

Lovely Ride, a two-time stakes winner and the top older female in Diodoro’s barn, came out of her runner-up finish Feb. 4 in the Grade 3 Bayakoa at Oaklawn in good shape, Diodoro said.

“We’re going to see how she trains in the next 10 days or so and start making a plan,” Diodoro said of plans for the mare.

Exercising for aftercare

Oaklawn’s stable area is housing a new training option for horses, an equine exerciser, known by a brand name of EquiCiser. Horses are charged for each visit to the exerciser, and proceeds benefit the Arkansas Thoroughbred Retirement and Rehabilitation Foundation.

The exerciser is similar to a walking machine, but enclosed with separate compartments that enable horses to jog freely. The speed of the machine can be controlled.

Paul Holthus oversees the exerciser program for the aftercare organization. Last year, the trainer decided to close his stable. The equine exerciser was launched in January.

“The Arkansas HBPA paid for the installation of the [exerciser] and then in turn gave it to the Arkansas Thoroughbred Retirement Program, so all proceeds go to the Thoroughbred aftercare program in Hot Springs,” Holthus said.

Holthus said most trainers have their horses jog two miles on each visit to the exerciser. The cost of each visit, based on frequency, ranges from $8 to $10.

“We’ve been averaging about 50 horses a day,” Holthus said. “Trainers are liking it.”

◗ Jockey Joe Talamo, who had been wintering at Oaklawn, has moved his tack back home to Kentucky, according to his agent, Jake Romans. Romans said Talamo will be riding at Turfway Park. Later this spring, the jockey will head to Keeneland.

◗ Gun Pilot, an impressive allowance winner Feb. 4 at Oaklawn, is under consideration for the track’s Grade 2, $1 million Rebel, according to Asmussen. Earlier in the meet, Gun Pilot was second in an allowance won by Daily Racing Form Derby Watch member Verifying.

◗ Ari Oakley, who won her maiden at Oaklawn and went on to capture the Bold Ego Stakes in January at Sunland Park, has been retired to the breeding shed, according to Asmussen. She is by Gun Runner and out of the Grade 2-winning mare Belle of Perintown and raced for her breeder, Stonestreet Stables.

◗ Oaklawn has a four-day race week coming up, with a special holiday Monday card set for Feb. 20.