Stakes are high for weekend card
HOT SPRINGS — Oaklawn Park’s celebration of the Presidents Day weekend starts today with the $100,000, 6-furlong Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The three-day mini-racing festival wraps up Monday with three Grade III 1/16mile stakes races, featuring the $500,000 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-old horses whose connections hope for shares of the 17 points it distributes toward qualification for the Kentucky Derby.
The $500,000 Razorback, for horses 4 years old and up, and the $400,000 Bayakoa, for fillies and mares 4 years old and up, are scheduled as Races 7 and 8, respectively, with the Southwest the ninth of the 10-race holiday card.
There are just seven fillies set for today’s Dixie Belle program, topped on the morning-line by 2-1 favorite Unholy Alliance, trained by Brad Cox, with Stewart Elliott named as the jockey. Only Raintree Starlet, trained by Brian Williamson, has raced on Oaklawn’s track.
Williamson said he expects a competitive field.
“It looks like just about anybody can win this race,” he said. “Just about all of them have fired a big number.”
Unholy Alliance, owned by E Five Racing Thoroughbreds, has two wins and one third in three career starts, all as a 2-year-old. After wins in her first two races at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.,
Unholy Alliance, by First Samurai, had trouble at the start of the $74,250 6-furlong Letellier Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Dec. 22. Shortly after Unholy Alliance and seven others left the gate, she was multiple lengths behind the field, which included three fillies listed for the Dixie Belle. She was fifth at the head of the stretch but closed rapidly to finish third, 1¾ lengths back.
“She got away bad,” Cox said. “Kind of stumbled a little bit and broke outward. Just left herself too much to do going down the backside. Made a good run in the lane and just came up a little short.”
Williamson, noted at Oaklawn for his training success with Streamline, said he likes the way Raintree Starlet, by Get Stormy, has approached the Dixie Belle. In her last race, at Oaklawn on Jan. 25, Raintree Starlet won by 1¼ lengths in a $62,500 optional-claiming race under jockey Alex Canchari, who is listed as her rider in the Dixie Belle.
“She keeps stepping up to the plate,” Williamson said. “I’m excited for the next step and to see if she can handle some stakes company. She’s learning and keeps stepping up and doing a good job, so I’m excited to see her run.”
Raintree Starlet’s experience at Oaklawn might help, Williamson said.
“When they get saddled at Oaklawn, there’s a ton of people and a lot of noise, and they’re up above the horses,” Williamson said. “It’s kind of intimidating, but [Raintree Starlet] handled it fine the first time. She’s a pretty calm customer.”
The expected field for the Dixie Belle, from the rail out, is Unholy Alliance; Broadway Cat with jockey David Cohen, trained by Dallas Stewart; Adventurous Lady with jockey Ramon Vazquez, trained by Steve Asmussen; Q Go Girl, with jockey Jermaine Bridgmohan, trained by Brendan Walsh; Lady T N T, with jockey David Cabrera, trained by Joe Sharp; Raintree Starlet; and Spice It Up, with jockey C.J. McMahon, trained by Wayne Catalano.
From 2016 through last season, Williamson trained Streamline to 12 stakes starts at Oaklawn. She finished in the top three 10 times, including wins in the 2016 Pippin Stakes, the 2017 Grade II Azeri Stakes, and the 2018 Grade III Bayakoa Stakes.