After trip down under, Parchment Party returns in Temperence Hill

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A race around a mere two turns is not enough to start the Racing Festival of the South stakes action on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

Racing secretary Pat Pope went for three.

And so the $200,000 Temperence Hill, a 1 1/2-mile marathon sure to thrill the infield crowd, will be the first stakes on Arkansas Derby Day. It’s slotted as the fourth race and will be followed by the $135,000 American Pharoah, an overnight stakes that goes as the ninth; the Grade 3, $500,000 Oaklawn Mile, which is the 11th; and the Arkansas Derby, which is the 13th. First post for the 14-race program is 11:35 a.m. Central.

Parchment Party is the probable favorite in the Temperence Hill field of six, as he’s won two marathon stakes in his last three starts. Parchment Party won the off-the-turf Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup at 1 3/4 miles in June at Saratoga and came back and won at the same distance in the track’s Birdstone Stakes in August.

The Temperence Hill will be his first start since Nov. 4. He’s moving back to dirt, the surface over which he has recorded his four wins, after a rare turf start in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington in which he finished 20th. For his return, Parchment Party adds a set of blinkers. Luis Saez has the mount from post 5 for Pin Oak Stable and trainer Bill Mott.

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Jokestar is stretching out after a front-running victory in the Post Time Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at Laurel. Pietro Moran, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey of 2025, has the mount from post 6 for trainer Kevin Attard.

Forged Steel is a wild card. He is a candidate to wire the field as he moves from a win over a mile and 40 yards at Tampa to three turns. He will break from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr.

American Pharoah

Ortiz has the mount on possible favorite Classic Car Wash in the American Pharoah. The race for 4-year-olds and up will be run over 1 1/16 miles, and other top contenders in a competitive group of eight include Publisher and Winnemac Avenue.

Classic Car Wash owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 95 for his fast-closing third in an allowance at Oaklawn. He was beaten a neck in his first start since June.

“He ran a big race,” Casse said. “The biggest thing with him is, now he needs a little bit more time between races. So, we’re coming back a little quick maybe for him. He’s very capable of running a big race.”

Classic Car Wash will pick up distance off the mile race last out at Oaklawn.

“It will help probably,” Casse said.

Publisher, who last year as a maiden was second in the Arkansas Derby, is riding a two-race win streak into the American Pharoah. The wins have come at this distance, at Oaklawn. The first came in a maiden special weight in February, then a first-level allowance March 7.

Publisher fought for a neck win last out under regular rider Erik Asmussen.

“It was a very rewarding win, especially in the style in which he did it, coming back on,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “That was an extremely nice win.”

Winnemac Avenue exits an allowance in which he was second to a quality winner in San Siro.

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