City of Light shows new dimension in Oaklawn Handicap

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – City of Light broke outward from post 11 at the start of the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap on Saturday. Accelerate was hesitant to load into stall 10. But once the race got underway, the two California shippers dominated the proceedings, signaling they will play significant roles in the handicap division this season.

The Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap was a coming-out party of sorts for City of Light, who defeated Accelerate by a neck. He came into the 1 1/8-mile race off a pair of Grade 1 wins in the Malibu and the Triple Bend at Santa Anita, but had yet to race beyond seven furlongs. He passed his distance test with flying colors while scoring the richest and most significant victory of his career.

Trainer Michael McCarthy nominated City of Light to both the Oaklawn Handicap and the race that immediately preceded it on the closing-day Oaklawn card, the Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet Handicap at six furlongs. More than a few people were surprised when McCarthy chose to run him in the longer race. But McCarthy knows his horse well and has great faith in him.

“I can’t tell you how much confidence I have in this horse,” McCarthy said. “This was a big step up today. Actually it wasn’t the extra quarter-mile I was worried about. It was the extra turn, and getting some position into this first turn.”

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke did what he could, but after breaking outward found himself four wide into the clubhouse turn. But he was pleased with how City of Light was traveling, and bided his time as Untrapped set the pace on a short lead over Colonelsdarktemper. Accelerate stalked three wide from post 10, with City of Light just behind him.

Untrapped cut out a quarter in 22.97 and a half in 46.63. Leaving the half-mile pole, Santa Anita Handicap winner Accelerate ranged up three wide with City of Light traveling smoothly while remaining well out in the track.

Colonelsdarktemper was the first to fold, and soon thereafter Accelerate and City of Light left Untrapped behind. Nearing the stretch, City of Light seized command. He held maybe a length lead in midstretch, then held off a late bid from Accelerate to seal the victory.

City of Light was timed in 1:48.26 while getting his final furlong in a racehorse 12.13. He looked strong doing so.

“When I turned him loose at the quarter pole, he really showed another gear,” Van Dyke said. “I think the extra distance is even better for him than sprinting. I never felt him have that turn of foot when we won the two Grade 1’s. What I felt today, that was excellent.”

Untrapped held on for third while finishing 10 lengths behind Accelerate. Sonneteer finished fourth, 1 1/4 lengths behind Untrapped.

City of Light paid $11.40 to win in the 11-horse field. The $2 exacta with 6-5 favorite Accelerate returned $29.40.

City of Light was given a 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

City of Light was a $710,000 Keeneland yearling purchase by William K. Warren Jr. and his wife Suzanne. The Warrens are best known for campaigning 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam. William Warren has been looking for a top horse like City of Light for a long time.

“Quite frankly, I was ready to pack it in,” Warren said. “I haven’t had a good horse in so many years, and reality tells me my luck had changed. This horse is more than I could ask for.”

City of Light is a 4-year-old son of Quality Road. He is now four for seven with earnings of $940,600.

Now that City of Light has proven he can route, McCarthy has many options moving forward. His goal is to run City of Light in a Breeders’ Cup race at Churchill Downs in November. A more immediate start could come in the $1.2 million Met Mile at Belmont Park on June 9.

“The Met Mile is obviously a very prestigious race with a very large purse,” McCarthy said. “It’s something we’ll certainly think about.”

Hedge Fund, the 7-2 second choice in the betting, had his chances compromised when he broke in the air at the start. He recovered and raced in contention for six furlongs but then dropped back and finished 10th.

Inside Straight, the winner of last year’s Oaklawn Handicap, refused to break when his stall doors opened and remained in the gate. The stewards conducted an inquiry into the start but ruled that Inside Straight had a fair opportunity to break.

This is the second time Inside Straight has refused to leave the gate at the beginning of a race. He did the same thing in the Saginaw Stakes at Belmont Park last July.