Trainer Hiles sends out first Oaklawn starters

Jeff Hiles had two horses run Sunday, the trainer’s first Oaklawn Park starters since going out on his own late last year after previously serving as an assistant to Kenny McPeek.

Hiles, 39, is a former Marine Corps sergeant and the son of veteran trainer Rick Hiles, who has saddled more than 500 winners since 1976 and is the longtime president of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Father and son are stabled together in Oaklawn’s Coaltown barn.

Jeff Hiles began assembling his three-horse stable by claiming Say It Softly for $15,000 out of a maiden victory on Nov. 11 at Churchill Downs. He then claimed Fake Solution for $15,000 on Nov. 16 at Churchill Downs and Loran Holiday for $5,000 on Dec. 5 at Turfway Park.

Hiles chose to winter at Oaklawn to try and notch his first career victory. He was 0-for-3 last year, with his best finish a second by Fake Solution, racing for a

$30,000 claiming tag, on Dec. 12 at Turfway.

“I’m more about quality vs. quantity,” Hiles said. “I’m not looking for bad horses. I guess nobody is, but some people want to get horses in just to get them in. I’m not that way. I could have claimed 20 horses by now.

“I’m extremely picky when it comes to horses and I can’t afford to go out … imagine yourself being surrounded by people and you’ve got limited ammunition beside you. You’ve to take a little more time to aim down the line.”

Hiles spent five years in the Marines from 200106. He was stationed for three and a half years at Kaneohe Bay in Hawai’i, where he was a primary marksmanship instructor to other Marines.

The Kentucky native later returned to his home state and opened a construction company. He later opened a restaurant and also worked in the automobile industry before turning to his first love in horse racing.

Hiles said he had just started as parts manager at a Nissan dealership in Nicholasville, Ky., when he reunited with McPeek in the spring of 2015 at Keeneland Race Course. After starting at the bottom — cleaning stalls, walking horses, feeding horses, etc. — Hiles was overseeing McPeek’s Oaklawn division less than two years later.

Hiles said his training philosophy is a mix of his father, McPeek and himself. McPeek has more than 1,600 career victories, including the 2002 Belmont Stakes.

“When you work for people, you learn what to do and what you don’t think to do,” Jeff Hiles said. “That’s the most beneficial thing I can tell about the experience of working for somebody else before you’re going to do your own thing. I did the same thing in construction.

“See, I just went out and just started doing my own thing and it cost me a lot of money. But with this, I wanted to get with a big outfit because that’s what I want to model. There are a lot of great things that Kenny does, and he has a great program. Then there’s things, I think, can be done better.”

Loran Holiday, co-owned by Hiles, was entered for a $16,000 claiming tag and ran third in the third race of the day. Fake Solution was entered for a $30,000 claiming price and ran second in the sixth race on Sunday.

Hiles said his goal is to one day have a stable that rivals the quality of trainers like Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, Todd Pletcher or Brad Cox.

“I’m not in this just to be a claiming trainer for my whole life,” Hiles said. “Right now, I’m in a struggle and digging my way out of it.”

Rick Hiles has more than 50 career victories at Oaklawn, including the $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes in 1980 with Run Ky. Run and the $50,000 Mountain Valley Stakes in 1988 with Longview Ashley.

The track was rated fast for workouts Sunday morning.

Boldor and Bankit, third and sixth, respectively, in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds on Jan. 25, worked in company before the renovation break Sunday morning for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Both colts were timed in :52 for a half-mile.

Cowboy Diplomacy, a 3-year-old full brother to champion Monomoy Girl, worked a half-mile in company in :48 2-5 for Cox just after the track opened Sunday morning for trainer. Cowboy Diplomacy is scheduled to make his career debut in Friday’s seventh race at 6 furlongs.

Smart Spree, a three-time winner at the 2018 Oaklawn meeting, worked a half-mile in :45 4-5 in company for trainer Norman McKnight before the break. Smart Spree, who galloped out 5 furlongs in :58 2-5, finished fourth in the Grade 3 $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap last year at Oaklawn.

The track was also rated fast for workouts on Saturday morning.

Millionaire Shotgun Kowboy worked 5 furlongs in

1:01 3-5 moments after the track opened for breeder, owner and trainer C.R. Trout. Trout said he will now start shopping for a race for the gelding, probably an “allowance.”

Cabot, an unstarted 3-year-old son of champion and multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Will Take Charge, worked a half-mile in :50 under Ricardo Santana Jr. Cabot is owned Alex Lieblong, chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission, and trained by Ron Moquett, of Hot Springs.

Following Saturday’s renovation break, Flawless Moon, an unstarted 3-year-old half-brother to Grade

1 winner The Big Beast, went a half-mile in :49 1-5 for Lieblong and trainer David Fawkes. Lieblong campaigned The Big Beast, who made his career debut at Oaklawn in 2014 and won an allowance race the following year in Hot Springs.

Grade 3 winner Warrior’s Club went a half-mile in

:48 1-5 after the break for Lukas.