AT THE POST
DAY 2 of 57
SATURDAY’S ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 30,000
SATURDAY’S TOTAL HANDLE $5,758,147
SATURDAY’S ON-TRACK HANDLE $1,204,519
SATURDAY’S OFF-TRACK HANDLE $4,553,628
TODAY’S POST TIME 1:30 p.m.
ADMISSION Free for general admission; reserved seats $4.50
PARKING $2 until 4 p.m.
TODAY’S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Laurel Park, 11:25 a.m.; Aqueduct, 11:30 a.m.; Gulfstream Park, 11:35 a.m.; Tampa Bay, 11:35 a.m.; Fair Grounds, 12:30 p.m.; Santa Anita, 2:30 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:45 p.m.
SATURDAY’S STARS
Jockey Orlando Mojica and trainer Robertino Diodoro teamed up to win three races. They won the first race with Icatiro ($5.40, $3.60 and $2.60), who covered 6 furlongs in 1:11.84. They won the The Fifth Season second division with Pioneer Spirit ($7.40, $4.00 and $2.80), covering 1 mile in 1:38.94 and the ninth race with What A Fox ($15.80, $7.80 and $6.00), covering 6 furlongs in 1:11.46. On the season, Mojica has won four races in 14 starts. Diodoro has won four races in 13 starts.
Joseph Rocco won the fourth race with Victory Element ($6.80, $7.40 and $4.80), covering 6 furlongs in 1:12.11 and the Pippin Stakes with Whoa Nellie ($6.60, $4.20 and $3.40), covering 1 mile in 1:39.50. On the season, Rocco has two victories in four starts.
TWO DEAD HEATS
Two races ended in dead heats Saturday. The fourth race saw Victory Element and Miracle Hill ($13.00, $12.40 and $8.40) finish the 6-furlong race in 1:12.11. Both horses finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Aqwaam.
In the sixth race, Twilight Fantasy ($8.00, $8.80 and $6.60) and No Shirt No Shoes ($8.60, $8.00 and $5.00) were in a dead heat at 1:12.93, finishing a half-length ahead of Background . Martin Garcia was aboard Twilight Fantasy and Alex Birzer was on No Shirt No Shoes.
RAIN FOR AMERICAN BEAUTY
Raintree Starlet will make her 4-yearold debut in the $125,000 American Beauty Stakes for older female sprinters next Saturday, trainer Brian Williamson said. Raintree Starlet recorded three consecutive victories to open 2019, capped by the $100,000 Dixie Belle Stakes last February at Oaklawn.
Unraced since early August, Raintree Starlet worked 3 furlongs out of the gate in :35.80 Friday morning.
“She’s doing good,” Williamson said. “Sitting on go, hopefully.”
The American Beauty closed Thursday with 24 nominations. Other locally-based horses pointing for the 6-furlong race include 2019 winner Amy’s Challenge, Ascot Day and Pretty Greeley.
CALDWELL CLOSING IN
Four-time Oaklawn leading owner Danny Caldwell entered Friday with 925 victories and is looking to reach 1,000 career victories this year.
Caldwell won his first thoroughbred race in 2007. He had at least 100 victories every year from 2014-2018 and finished with 93 in 2019 to rank eighth nationally. Caldwell has ranked in the top 10 nationally in victories every year since 2014, when he won his first of four consecutive owner’s titles at Oaklawn.
“I never would have dreamed I’d win 1,000 races,” Caldwell said Thursday. “I hope we can reach that milestone this year. If everything goes good, I think we can.”
Caldwell said he has 34 horses at Oaklawn with his private trainer, Federico Villafranco, and seven more at Delta Downs in Louisiana. Caldwell said his 2020 stable mirrors previous years.
“Actually, I feel a little better this year coming in here because I went to Keeneland and bought some horses to restock,” Caldwell said. “I’ve still got some of the horses that I claimed here last year that we kept all year and done really well for us.”
That successful claiming contingent includes Chris and Dave ($45,000), D’Rapper ($40,000) and Heavens Whisper ($6,250).