AT THE POST
DAY 46 of 57
SATURDAY’S TOTAL HANDLE $16,920,866 SATURDAY’S ON-TRACK HANDLE $34,139 SATURDAY’S OFF-TRACK HANDLE $16,886,727
THURSDAY’S POST TIME 1:05 p.m. (Spectators not allowed)
SATURDAY’S STARS
Ricardo Santana and trainer Steve Asmussen teamed up to win three consecutive races together. They won the fifth race with Casual ($11.60, $6.00, $4.20), covering 6 furlongs in 1:09.24; the sixth race with Pneumatic ($4.40, $2.80, $2.40), covering 1 mile in 1:36.70; and the seventh race with Earner ($3.60, $3.20, $2.60), covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.41.
On the season, Santana has won 41 races in 219 starts and trails leader Joe Talamo by two victories in the jockey standings. Asmussen, who is in second place in the trainer’s standings, has won 37 races in 257 starts and trails Robertino Diodoro by 10 victories.
Joel Rosario won three races improving his season totals to five victories in 13 starts. He won the third race with Skol
Factor ($3.60, $3.00, $2.60), covering 6 furlongs in 1:09.76 and the eighth race with Proverb ($7.60, $4.00, $3.00), covering 1 mile in 1:37.60. He won the Oaklawn Mile with Tom’s d’Etat ($3.60, $2.80, $2.40), winning in 1:35.83.
DANCING AT THE BLOSSOM
Come Dancing will make her first start for trainer D. Wayne Lukas in Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom after previously being with New York-based trainer
Carlos Martin. A five-time stakes winner, Come Dancing hasn’t started since finishing sixth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint – her only career race outside New York – Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
Come Dancing was sent to Lukas approximately three weeks ago and has recorded two local breezes, including a 6-furlong move in 1:12.60 Tuesday morning.
“It was very impressive,” Lukas said near the end of training hours Saturday
morning. “The way she moves out there and gets over the racetrack like she does – she is some kind of impressive filly.”
Come Dancing also breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 on March 31. Asked about her 11th-hour training regiment, Lukas said he will “play it by ear.” Post positions for the Apple Blossom will be drawn Wednesday.
“I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do,” Lukas said. “I might let her breeze through the stretch a little bit. I might even work her an easy half or something. I’ll just let her tell us.”
Lukas said he hasn’t finalized riding assignments for Come Dancing or stablemate Bravazo, who is scheduled to make his next start in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses May 2. Come Dancing was ridden in her final three starts last year by Javier Castellano, who guided the 6-year-old daughter of
Malibu Moon to victories in the $500,00 Ballerina Stakes on Aug. 24 at Saratoga and the $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap on Sept. 22 at Belmont Park. Overall, Come Dancing has won 8 of 14 career starts and earned $1,064,950.
“We’re flirting with a couple of different people,” Lukas said. “Castellano has ridden her in the past and I think he got cleared this week or something. I really don’t know if that means here or where else, with all the stuff that’s going on.”
Lukas said March 31 that the Apple Blossom was on Come Dancing’s “radar,” but the coronavirus complicated matters for Martin, grandson of the late Hall of Fame trainer, Frank “Pancho” Martin, and breeder/owner Marc Holliday (Blue
Devil Racing Stable).
The Apple Blossom closed Thursday with 24 nominations. Other projected starters include Azeri Stakes winner Serengeti Empress for trainer Tom Amoss, Bayakoa Stakes winner Go Google Yourself for trainer Paul McGee and Street Band for trainer Larry Jones.
COUNT FLEET COUNTDOWN
Three projected starters for the $350,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap for older horses on April 18 recorded works over a fast track Saturday morning, including two-time champion Whitmore for co-owner/trainer Ron Moquett of Hot
Springs.
Whitmore, who breezed with stablemate
Eisenstaedt, covered a half-mile in :49.60 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:02.60. Whitmore is a six-time Oaklawn stakes winner, including consecutive runnings of the 6-furlong Count Fleet (2017 and 2018). The millionaire Grade I winner also finished second in last year’s race.
Bobby’s Wicked One breezed 3 furlongs in :36.20 for trainer Al Stall. Clockers caught the multiple stakes winner galloping out a half-mile in :48.80.
Breezing immediately after the surface renovation break was multiple stakes winner Mr. Jagermeister for co-owner/trainer
Valorie Lund. Under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Terry Thompson, Mr. Jagermeister went 5 furlongs in 1:01 and galloped out three-quarters in 1:13.80. “He worked awesome,” Lund said. Mr. Jagermeister exits a runner-up finish behind Whitmore in the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes on March 7, the final major local prep for the Count Fleet. Mr. Jagermeister has started two other times at Oaklawn, finishing second in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-olds in 2018 and winning an allowance race last April.
The Count Fleet closed April 9 with 30 nominations. Post positions will be drawn Wednesday.