Landers, Cox enjoy big weekend at Mountaineer

One of Oaklawn Park’s most potent owner and trainer combinations struck for two stakes victories on Saturday at Mountaineer in West Virginia.

Brad Cox, fourth in Oaklawn’s trainer standings this year, sent out favored Leofric to win the Grade 3 $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s and favored Big Changes to win the $75,000 West Virginia House of Delegate Speaker’s Cup Stakes. Both horses are owned by prominent Arkansas automobile dealer Steve Landers, also a member of the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Leofric, a 5-year-old son of Candy Ride, became a stakes winner in his 11th lifetime start. He was unbeaten in three starts at the 2017 Oaklawn meeting and was a Jan. 14 allowance winner at Oaklawn in his 5-year-old debut. Leofric finished second in the Grade 3 $500,000 Razorback Handicap Feb. 19 at Oaklawn.

Under Florent Geroux, Leofric ($4.20) was a neck winner of the West Virginia Governor’s Stakes, covering 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.72. Leofric has earned $457,940 from six lifetime victories.

Big Changes, who broke his maiden at the

2016 Oaklawn meeting, was a 3 1/2-length winner of West Virginia House of Delegate Speaker’s Cup Stakes at a mile and 70 yards on the turf. Geroux was aboard the winner, who paid

$3.20.

Cox began training for Landers at the end of the 2015 Oaklawn meeting. In addition to Leofric and Big Changes, they have been represented by Dazzling Gem and the now-deceased Illussion Artist.

Dazzling Gem is a three-time winner at Oaklawn and ran fourth in the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby in 2016. Illussion Artist, in her final career start, won the $150,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters in 2017 at Oaklawn.

Landers was Oaklawn’s second-leading owner in 2016 with 10 victories, tied for 10th in 2017 with seven victories and had four victories at the 2018 meeting.

Cox had a third stakes victory Saturday at Mountaineer with heavily favored Golden Mischief ($2.80) in the $75,000 West Virginia Secretary of State. Ridden by Geroux, Golden Mischief was a 7 1/4-length winner of the 6-fur-

long event.

Golden Mischief won the

$150,000 Purple Martin Stakes in 2017 at Oaklawn and an April

4 allowance race in one of the fastest 6-furlong races ever run by a female in Hot Springs

(1:08.77).

High North, winner of the

$150,000 Northern Spur Stakes for 3-year-olds April 14 at Oaklawn, finished third in the Grade 3 $500,000 West Virginia Derby Saturday at Mountaineer for Cox and John Ed Anthony’s Shortleaf Stable.

Among the most successful owners in Oaklawn history, Anthony, of Hot Springs, had two Oaklawn-raced 3-year-olds win last week at Indiana Grand. Lone Rock ($6.40) was an allowance winner in his comeback race Wednesday. Firehorn

($9.40) broke his maiden Friday. Both horses are trained by Will VanMeter.

Perennial Oaklawn champs Ricardo Santana Jr. and Steve Asmussen have also teamed for

10 victories at Saratoga Race Course, the historic upstate New York track that opened its

40-day meet on July 20. Santana has been the leading rider the last six years at Oaklawn, with his main client, Asmussen, topping the trainer standings nine times in Hot Springs since 2007. Asmussen has been Oaklawn’s leading trainer the last three years.

According to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization, the Santana/Asmussen combination is 10-6-3 from

31 starts at Saratoga, with purse earnings of $982,588.

They scored with Tenfold in the Grade 2 $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes for 3-year-olds July 28 and finished second with Mia Mischief in Saturday’s Grade 1

$500,000 Test Stakes for 3-yearold filly sprinters. Tenfold won his first two career starts at Oaklawn before finishing fifth in the Arkansas Derby. Mia Mischief also wintered in Hot Springs, finishing second in the $125,000 Dixie Belle Stakes Jan. 20 and winning the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes March 24.

Santana has 13 victories from

71 mounts this year at Saratoga. He won 14 races in 2016 and 13 last year.

Asmussen has 11 victories from 36 starts. He won 17 races at the 2011 Saratoga meeting, his current personal best.

Godolphin Racing, LLC’s Lady Montdore ($11.40), a

4-year-old daughter of Oaklawn stakes winners Medaglia d’Oro and Hystericalady, was an allowance winner Monday at Saratoga. Medaglia d’Oro broke his maiden at the 2002 Oaklawn and returned to Hot Springs the following year to win the Grade

2 $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel.

Heavily favored Hence, who represented Asmussen’s 500th career Oaklawn victory with a maiden score during the 2017 meeting, was a runaway winner of the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap Saturday at Albuquerque. Hence ($4.40) won the 1 1/8-mile race by 6 1/2 lengths.

Streamline ($12.20), who went through Oaklawn’s four- race two-turn stakes series for older fillies and mares the last three years, was an allowance winner Friday at Arlington Park in her return to grass. Streamline won the Grade 3 $150,000 Bayakoa Feb. 17 at Oaklawn.

Streamline also won Oaklawn’s $100,000 Pippin in 2016 and Grade 2 $350,000 Azeri in

2017. Trained by Oaklawn regular Brian Williamson, Streamline has a 9-3-9 mark from 26 lifetime starts and earnings of

$873,379.

Fiesta ($13.40), who broke her maiden for a $50,000 claiming tag in 2017 at Oaklawn, won the $100,000 Jill Jellison Memorial Dash Stakes Saturday at Suffolk Downs.

The Money Dance, who broke his maiden April 14 at Oaklawn, is entered in the

$150,000 Governor’s Stakes today at Indiana Grand. Probable post time of the mile and 70yard Governor’s, which goes as race 6, is 3:25 p.m.