08/12/2011 9:45PM

Arlington: Hooh Why scores first turf win in $61K Owners Stakes

By Marcus Hersh
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Four Footed Fotos
Grade 1 winner Hooh Why won her first career turf race in Friday's illinois Owners Stakes.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Hooh Why’s 30-race career before Friday included only one turf start, a sixth-place finish two summers ago in the Ontario Colleen at Woodbine, but it now seems fair to say that Hooh Why’s talents are not restricted to all-weather tracks, over which her seven previous wins had come. Hooh Why turned back a mid-stretch challenge from 1-2 favorite Askbut I Won’ttell and drew clear to win the $61,700 female division of the Illinois Owners Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths.

“She’d only run on turf once before, so that was a concern,” said trainer Mike Reavis, who gets ample assistance overseeing Hooh Why’s day-to-day from co-owner Mark Hoffman.

Hooh Why, a 5-year-old Cloud Hopping mare whose signature win came in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes in 2009, tracked the pace of Doilookfatnthese and Peyote Patty through splits of 23.82 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.94 to the half. Askbut I Won’ttell moved up boldly on the far turn, and seemed poised to go on to victory at the top of the stretch, but Hooh Why, moving three wide under Jozbin Santana, accelerated at the three-sixteenths pole and turned back the favorite’s challenge. Askbut I Won’ttell was easily second, finishing almost three lengths in front of Peyote Patty. The winner was timed in 1:44.28 for 1 1/16  miles on “good” turf, and paid $35 to win.

Tazz takes male division

Tazz ($10.40) won the $61,800 male division of the Owners Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths, getting a fine rail-skimming trip under Seth Martinez. Tazz came off the fence in mid-stretch and collared Exchanging Kisses in the final half-furlong, running 1 1/16  miles in 1:44.37.  Cool C Note, the tepid 5-2 favorite, finished a neck behind Exchanging Kisses in third.

Trained by Christine Janks, Tazz won the Black Tie Affair Handicap for Illinois-bred grass horses on June 25. On July 16, Tazz was entered for an $80,000 claiming tag and was announced as claimed by owner Richard Ravin and trainer Larry Rivelli after finishing a distant sixth, but the claim was voided and the horse remained with Janks and owners Rob and Kelly Dobbs and the Carson Springs Farm of Janks.