AT THE POST
DAY 49 of 55
FRIDAY’S ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 6,000
FRIDAY’S TOTAL HANDLE $2,564,137 FRIDAY’S ON-TRACK HANDLE $481,370 FRIDAY’S OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,082,767
TODAY’S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Tampa Bay, 11:20 a.m.; Gulfstream Park, 11:30 a.m.; Aqueduct, noon; Laurel Park, 12:10 p.m.; Santa Anita, 1:30 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:15 p.m.; Hawthorne, 3:10 p.m.; Evangeline, 5:50 p.m.; Charles Town, 6 p.m.; Daytona Beach (greyhounds), 6:25 p.m.; Derby Lane (greyhounds), 6:30 p.m.; Southland (greyhounds), 7:30 p.m.; Los Alamitos, 8 p.m.
FRIDAY’S STARS
Ricardo Santana Jr., who is leading the jockey standings with 57 victories in 258 starts, added two more victories Friday. Santana won the second race with Dirty Dixie Road ($4) and the fourth race with Cause to Action ($4.80). John Ortiz, who has won eight races in 66 starts, won two races Friday. Ortiz won the first race with Farmer Phil ($12.60) and the seventh race with Pretty Greeley ($8.40).
QUIP TO ARKANSAS DERBY
Quip, who is in 10th place in the Kentucky Derby standings with 50 points, is headed to the Arkansas Derby on April 14, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said.
Quip, a son of Distorted Humor, was scheduled to arrive by van early today, Brisset said, after he was set to scratch from today’s $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
The move comes less than a week after Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert opted to keep Justify home for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby today at Santa Anita rather than run in the Arkansas Derby, the unbeaten colt’s original target before an injury to stablemate McKinzie had a domino effect on four races. McKinzie had been ticketed for the Santa Anita Derby.
Baffert’s Arkansas Derby entrant is now scheduled to be Solomini, who was headed for the $750,000 Wood Memorial today at Aqueduct before McKinzie’s injury.
WinStar, which bred Quip, and China Horse Club are also partners in Justify. SF Racing also co-owns Quip.
“Of course, Justify has the same ownership in my horse,” Brisset said Friday morning. “The fact he went for the Grade I in California kind of opened … for us to run in a Grade I instead of a Grade II. It’s really, really why you make the move.”
WinStar, China Horse Club and SF Racing won the $500,000 Southwest Stakes — one of Oaklawn’s four major Kentucky Derby preps – last year with One Liner and own a piece of Audible, winner of the $1 million Florida Derby last Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Brisset, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, has never started a horse at Oaklawn. Mott was Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 1986.
Quip has won 3 of 4 starts overall, including the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby on March 10 at Tampa Bay Downs in his last start. Brisset said regular rider Florent Geroux will have the mount on Quip for the Arkansas Derby.
Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby will be drawn Wednesday.
GOLDEN PERFORMANCE
Juddmonte Farms’ Golden Mischief will be considered for the $300,000 Humana Distaff for older filly and mare sprinters May 5 at Churchill Downs after her performance in Wednesday’s eighth race, trainer Brad Cox said Thursday afternoon.
Golden Mischief won the allowance/optional claimer by 8¼ lengths under Fernando De La Cruz and covered 6 furlongs in 1:08.77, among the fastest times ever recorded at Oaklawn by a female.
Golden Mischief, in her 4-year-old debut and first start for Juddmonte and Cox, finished ninth in the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes at 5½ furlongs March 3.
“We liked her all winter,” Cox said. “We kind of found ourselves in a little bit of a tough spot off the layoff, with having to try the stake off the layoff, which was not ideal. And 5½ is probably not her thing. But she really ran well. I mean, really fired home. I was really impressed with her.”
Golden Mischief drew off from the field with a sub-:23 final quarter-mile. She paid $4.20 as the heavy favorite.
A multiple stakes winner for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Juddmonte purchased the daughter of Into Mischief for $475,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s 2017 Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale. She has a 7-3-0 record from 17 starts overall and earnings of $406,730.
Golden Mischief won the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes last year at Oaklawn through a race-related disqualification.
“Hopefully, we can get some graded black type on her at some point this year,” Cox said. “That’s obviously the goal. We’ll keep plugging away.”
FINAL FURLONG
The track was rated sloppy for workouts Friday morning. … The infield will not be open today because of inclement weather, Oaklawn officials announced Friday morning. … Cox said Thursday afternoon that Tiger Moth is under consideration for the $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap for older fillies and mares April 13. Cox said he could also start Leofric in the $750,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap for older horses, and High North and unbeaten Exclamation Point in the $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes for 3-year-olds. Both races are April 14.