OAKLAWN: Exclamation Point wins again
Oaklawn stakes produce upsets
Not that much improvement was needed, but Exclamation Point dazzled racegoers again Saturday.
The 3-year-old half-brother to
2017 Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire won for the second time at Oaklawn Park, going longer and with more versatility than in his Feb. 3 debut at six furlongs.
The chestnut colt by Concord Point-Sambuca Classica used the
$79,000 entry-level allowance as a learning experience, sitting off the lead until roused once left-handed by jockey Fernando De La Cruz nearing the quarter pole in his two-turn debut. From there, Exclamation Point showed the speed that made him a front-running maiden winner by 2 1/2 lengths. Getting the mile in a fast-rated
1:38.80 and paying $3.20 to win, Exclamation Point won by a length and a quarter over 30-1 longshot Bode’s Maker.
“I was impressed with Exclamation Point,” said co-owner Staton Flurry, of Hot Springs, who recently purchased a half-interest in the colt from breeders Steven and Brandi Nicholson. “You never know what’s going to happen with a horse going against winners the first time. We’ll just wait and see what happens and how he keeps doing.”
Although calmer in the post parade than before his debut, when he broke away from horses, Exclamation Point got out late under a left-handed stick. But even as a work in progress, the colt displays tremendous promise, running back Saturday to his “bullet” half-mile workout in 47.20 seconds, fastest of 99 working the distance Monday.
“If he can run this well when he’s green, imagine how good he’s going to be when he learns what’s going on,” Flurry said.
Flurry’s hopes, and those of trainer Brad Cox, for a grandiose day were not realized. Stakes-winning Five O One, a 4-year-old Drosselmeyer gelding owned by Flurry and trained by Cox, ran third as odds-on favorite in the $100,000 Nodouble Breeders’ for Arkansas-bred males. J.E.’s Handmedown, owned by breeder and former jockey-trainer David Whited, won the Nodouble by three quarters of a length over last-out winner Glacken’s Ghost at 17-1.
“You can’t win them all,” Flurry said. “Five O One might have had a better chance if he had been on the rail, where the winner was, than outside. He’s never had much of a kick in the stretch.”
Cox, the longtime meet leader in wins, ended the day tied for the lead at 18 with Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. An eight-time Oaklawn champion, Asmussen saddled four winners on the card, all ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. (meet-high 28). Asmussen swept the late daily double with Chante-
line in the $125,000 Spring Fever and Tapsolute, the latter elevated to first through the disqualification of Chris and Dave.
Chanteline made a three-wide move on the turn and won the Spring Fever by a length and a quarter over 27-1 Marquee Miss with last-out American Beauty winner Swing and Sway third. Golden Mischief, Oaklawn’s Purple Martin winner last year through disqualification when trained by Asmussen, finished next to last in the 10-horse field in her first start for Cox and new owner Juddmonte Farms.
Carrying 115 pounds and paying $10.40 to win, Chanteline went 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.29 over the track she finished second to the Cox-trained Illussion Artist in last year’s Carousel.
“We got a perfect trip today,” said Santana. “We sat off the pace and turning for home she picked it up. She was much the best today.”
Seattle resident David Mowat owns Chanteline, a 6-year-old mare by the brilliantly fast 2009 Oaklawn allowance winner Majesticperfection. With half of her six wins coming at Oaklawn, Chanteline has earned $393,972 from 21 starts for Kentucky-based Ten Broeck Farm.
J.E.’s Handmedown, a 4-year-old gelding, represented the latest stakes winner for 21-year-old Storm and a Half, who stands privately at Tommy Ives’ farm in western Garland County. The victory was the first in the 11-race career of trainer Eleuterio Altamirano, who took over Whited’s horses when the Arkansas Derby-winning rider of 3,795 races, critically injured in a 2013 backstretch accident at Louisiana Downs, relinquished training responsibilities.
A career earner of $116,000, J.E.’s Handmedown finished second to Nodouble starter K J’s Nobility last month after not racing since March 31 when second to Five O One in the $100,000 Rainbow. Third early, he shook loose from 2017 Nodouble winner Racer coming out of the turn and went six furlongs in 1:10.47. Getting 6 pounds (117) from Glacken’s Ghost, J.E.’s Handmedown paid $37.20 to win.
“I put my horse in the best position I could,” said winning jockey Ramon Vazquez. “I just wanted to take my horse back a little bit. You know I had a lot of horse and he finished.”