Oaklawn claims still paying off
Two of the best claims of the 2018 Oaklawn Park meeting delivered again Sunday when Decorated Soldier and Matrooh finished first and third, respectively, in the $200,000 Presque Isle Mile Stakes at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Penn.
The Presque Isle Mile marked the fourth victory and second consecutive stakes triumph for Decorated Soldier since trainer Norman McKnight claimed the 5-year-old gelding for $20,000 on April
13 at Oaklawn. Decorated Soldier, a son of Proud Citizen, has flourished since switching from dirt to a synthetic surface. Decorated Soldier won three races at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, including the Grade 3
$130,250 Seagram Cup Stakes on Aug. 12, in advance of the Presque Isle Mile.
Ridden by former Oaklawn regular Willie Martinez, favored Decorated Soldier ($7.20) finished three-quarters of a length
ahead of Ghost Hunter, with Matrooh a length farther back in third.
Decorated Soldier covered the mile in 1:35.81, less than a second off Gayego’s track record of 1:34.90, set in 2010. Gayego won Oaklawn’s Grade 2 $1 million Arkansas Derby in 2008.
Decorated Soldier’s first career stakes victory came in the $150,000 Northern Spur for 3-year-olds in 2016 at Oaklawn. The gelding was then trained by Todd Pletcher.
Matrooh was claimed for $25,000 by co-owner/trainer Cipriano Contreras on March 3 at Oaklawn. The 8-year-old gelded son of Distorted Humor followed with an allowance victory April 6 at Oaklawn, a victory in the Grade $100,000 Hanshin Cup Stakes on May 12 at Arlington Park in Illinois and a third-place finish in the Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap on June 16 at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The Hanshin Cup was also run over a synthetic surface.
Four female horses campaigned at the 2018 Oaklawn meeting recently captured stakes races in recent days, including Hotshot Anna in the Grade 2 $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters Monday at Presque Isle Downs for owner/trainer Hugh Robertson.
Ridden by Antonio Gallardo, Hotshot Anna ($6.80) was a 4 1/4-length winner and narrowly missed a track record, covering 6 1/2 furlongs over a synthetic surface in 1:14.73 under equal top weight of 125 pounds. Favored Ami’s Mesa, who set the track record of 1:14.68 in last year’s race, finished eighth.
Under the care of Robertson’s son, trainer Mac Robertson, Hotshot Anna finished second in an April 4 allowance race at Oaklawn. She is now riding a four-race winning streak, the last three in stakes company.
In Saturday’s Grade 3 $100,000 Locust Grove at Churchill Downs, favored Blue Prize was a nose winner of the 1 1/16-mile race under Julien Leparoux.
Blue Prize ($3.80) has won 3 of 4 starts since finishing seventh in the Grade 2 $350,000 Azeri Stakes for older fillies and mares on March 17 at Oaklawn in her seasonal debut. All three victories have come in stakes.
Earlier on Saturday’s Churchill Downs card, favored Vertical Oak
($4.20) edged Astrollinthepark by three-quarters of a length to win the
$100,000 Open Mind for perennial Oaklawn champions Ricardo Santana Jr. and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
Vertical Oak finished third in the $150,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters on April 7 at Oaklawn. Astrollinthepark ran third in a March 16 allowance race at Oaklawn.
Favored Three Chords ($2.80) was a 6 1/2-length winner of the
$50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Fillies Stakes Friday at Remington Park in Oklahoma City for Toby Keith and three-time Oaklawn training champion Kenny Smith. Three Chords was an April 12 starter-allowance winner at Oaklawn.
Favored Shannon C ($3.20), who broke his maiden on Feb. 10 at Oaklawn, won the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes Friday at Remington Park for trainer Scott Young.
Oaklawn-raced Bourbon Cowboy ($6) and Hot Shot Kid ran 1-2, respectively, in the $50,000 Tom Metzen H.B.P.A. Sprint Stakes Friday at Canterbury Park in Minnesota.