City of Light to skip Razorback Handicap, target Triple Bend

Malibu Stakes winner City of Light would have been one of the top choices in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap on Monday at Oaklawn Park, but he will not travel for that race from California owing to wet weather and the likelihood of an off track at Oaklawn, trainer Michael McCarthy said Wednesday.

“I’m going to reroute that horse,” McCarthy said. “It’s a weather-related decision.”

Oaklawn had a sloppy track for training Wednesday, and the forecast from Weather.com calls for rain in Hot Springs, Ark., Friday through Monday.

McCarthy said City of Light would be pointed to the Grade 1, $400,000 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita on March 10. The Triple Bend, like the Malibu, is at seven furlongs.

City of Light, 4, is a colt by Quality Road who has won twice and finished second three times in five starts.