Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Smith makes most of trip
HOT SPRINGS — Mike Smith spent seven seasons at Oaklawn Park early in his career. Now a 53-year-old member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall Fame, Smith makes periodic returns to the track as a racing superstar.
They rarely disappoint. Smith rode Fox Hill Farms’ Omaha Beach to a photo-finish win over topranked and 1-2 favorite Game Winner in the late division of the Grade II, 1 1/16 mile Rebel Stakes in 1:42.42 before a crowd estimated at 45,500 on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The purse for both divisions was $750,000.
“Honestly, I thought I had a chance to win from the start,” Smith said. “I thought he was the quickest of the quick in there, but he settled really nice, and he really liked this track. Today we were best. Hopefully, we will grow and get better.”
Three races earlier, Smith rode the filly Midnight Bisou to a win in the Grade II, $350,000 Azeri Stakes.
Market King, a son of Into Mischief trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, finished third, 8¼ lengths behind Game Winner, by Candy Ride, and 1 length in front of fourth-place Gunmetal Gray.
Game Winner, owned by Gary and Mary West, was shipped by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert from the aftermath of Santa Anita Park’s recent suspension of racing. A total of 22 horses have been euthanized since mid-December after they were injured on Santa Anita’s racetrack near Los Angeles.
Smith, a longtime Santa Anita veteran, said he remains hopeful for racing in California and nationwide.
Two Rebels were offered by Oaklawn officials to help West Coast 3-year-old horses and their connections in search of another avenue to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
The Rebel, as planned, would have offered a purse of $1 million and hand out 85 Derby qualifying points to the first four finishers. With the split, Oaklawn added $500,000 to the total purse. To meet Derby qualification rules, the two split Rebels distributed a total of 63.75 points, down 25 percent from the original designation.
Omaha Beach, in his first stakes attempt, picked up 37.5 Derby points with his Rebel victory, enough to virtually assure his qualification for the Derby.
The field in the late Rebel followed Market King’s early lead through the first quarter-mile in 23.54. Omaha Beach was 2 lengths back in third but had moved into the lead through a half-mile in 47.29, a half-length in front of Market King.
Lukas seemed delighted by the position jockey John Velazquez had set up for Market King.
“I was really pleased,” Lukas said. “Real pleased. I think we’re still in the learning process. I think he’s still a little bit heavy. I’m trying to tighten him down and everything, but this is a step in the right direction. I was really pleased with the ride.”
Omaha Beach, who broke his maiden in his last outing Feb. 2 at Santa Anita, led through 6 furlongs in 1:11.82 as he and the field behind approached the homestretch, with Game Winner a length back.
“Coming out of a maiden race, it’s a big step up,” Omaha Beach’s trainer, Richard Mandella, said.
At the head of the stretch, Omaha Beach led by 2 lengths, but Game Winner — unraced since his win in the Grade I, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2 — battled back under jockey Joel Rosario throughout the stretch before he fell short by inches.
“I thought for a second I was going to get him, but the horse in front, he kept going,” Joel Rosario said. “My horse ran really, really well, but the winner just wouldn’t let me go by.”
“He was right on me,” Smith said. “I was lucky to have a very talented horse with an amazing trainer who had him ready.”