Bahamian Squall, Apprehender stretch out

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Bahamian Squall and Apprehender are stakes-winning sprinters who will move to two turns Thursday at Oaklawn in one of two interesting one-mile races on the program. In the other, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds, Paid Admission and Tizwonderfulcreek make their first starts since facing leading Kentucky Derby candidate American Pharoah in the Rebel Stakes.

Bahamian Squall goes in the eighth race, an optional $45,000 claimer that drew eight horses, with all but one a stakes winner. The race will end at the sixteenth pole, as with all one-mile races at Oaklawn.

“We’ve kind of been wanting to try him two turns, and this is a good spot to try him,” said Mark Casse, who trains Bahamian Squall for Donald R. Dizney.

Race 8

KEY CONTENDERS

Bahamian Squall (Last 3 Beyers: 78-77-78)

◗ He is the class of the field as a winner of the Grade 2 Smile Sprint who has banked $580,880. He’s also a half-brother to Apriority, a Grade 3 winner and earner of more than $500,000.

“He’s got the back class to be tough,” said Casse, who also believes the horse’s pedigree will support him at Thursday’s distance.

◗ Bahamian Squall is coming off a ninth-place finish in the $79,000 Clocker’s Corner at Santa Anita, a 6 1/2-furlong turf race over the downhill course Jan. 25. It went in a blazing 1:12.20, and Casse said jockey Corey Nakatani told him after the race that Bahamian Squall did not care for the firm ground that afternoon at Santa Anita. Bahamian Squall has since been training at Oaklawn.

“He worked really, really well the other day,” Casse said of a five-furlong move in 1:00.40 on March 17.

◗ Bahamian Squall will break from the rail under Shaun Bridgmohan.

“I would hope he’d be somewhere up close,” Casse said. “I don’t see him coming from way out of it. The post position is good going a mile. Hopefully, we’ll be able to keep our position going into the first turn and go from there.”

Apprehender (Last 3 Beyers: 91-94-94)

◗ He’s a two-time winner of the Hot Springs Stakes at six furlongs at Oaklawn. Apprehender enters off a third-place finish in the 2015 renewal of the race March 7.

◗ Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for Dream Farm and trainer Chris Richard.

Race 7

KEY CONTENDERS

Kantune (Last 3 Beyers: 60-84-75)

◗ He’s moving back into the overnight ranks after running 10th to Far Right in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 22 at Oaklawn. The race was his first start on a wet track, following a standout maiden special weight route win at Oaklawn. Casse said jockey Bridgmohan felt the horse did not handle the slop in the Southwest.

“Shaun said even though he was able to be up close early, he said he struggled from the get-go,” Casse said. “He said he was slipping and sliding.”

Raagheb (Last 3 Beyers: 78-70-32)

◗ He closed with authority to win a maiden special weight March 7 at Oaklawn under jockey Manny Esquivel. Raagheb won by 2 3/4 lengths despite trouble.

“He ran into a wall of horses turning for home,” said Dan Peitz, who trains Raagheb for Shadwell Stable. “I liked that Manny didn’t panic on him. He just sat, and when he was finally able to ease him out, the horse just showed a lot of professionalism by waiting for the rider to cue him. When he was able to ease him out, the turn of foot he showed was pretty impressive. He accelerated so quickly by those horses. I was impressed.”

◗ Bridgmohan will be aboard Raagheb with Esquivel serving a suspension for a riding infraction, said Peitz.

◗ Peitz said that with the right kind of performance from Raagheb, the race Thursday could send the horse to the $100,000 Northern Spur on the Arkansas Derby undercard April 11.