Cowan, Caddo River bring big-league connections to Smarty Jones

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park’s popular and proven road to the Kentucky Derby starts Friday with the running of the $150,000 Smarty Jones.

The top two choices in the field of seven – Cowan and Caddo River – hail from the respective barns of Eclipse Awards trainer finalists Steve Asmussen and Brad Cox.

The Smarty Jones, a mile stakes that ends at the sixteenth pole, is one of four Kentucky Derby points races at the Oaklawn meet, which also is home to the Southwest, Rebel, and Arkansas Derby. The first four finishers Friday will earn points on a scale of 10-4-2-1.

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Cowan saw action at last year’s Breeders’ Cup, running second in the Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 6 at Keeneland. One start later, he closed his 2-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish in the $200,000 Springboard Mile on the main track at Remington Park.

“It was a solid run,” Asmussen said. “He’s a nice, talented, versatile horse. The Smarty Jones is a good spot for him, but it’s an extremely competitive race.”

Cowan owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, an 84. He closed from off the pace in the Springboard, but won his career debut on the front end in a maiden special weight sprint at Churchill Downs. Cowan will break from post 3 under Ricardo Santana Jr.

“It’s opening day,” Asmussen said. “We’ll try to pay close attention to how the races go and put him in the right spot.”

Cowan shows a strong pair of five-eighths works over the local main track, among them a bullet in 59.40 seconds Jan. 12. The son of Kantharos races for Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables, and Spendthrift.

Caddo River is an individual betting interest in this weekend’s Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. He will be making both his first start against winners and first at two turns following a smashing maiden special weight victory in November at Churchill Downs. Caddo River set a quick pace in the one-turn mile and rolled by 9 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 83.

“He ran well,” Cox said. “I thought it was a decent group of horses. He was able to kind of run away on the far turn and stayed on down the lane.

“This is his first two-turn test. I’m hoping he can handle it. We certainly think he can.”

Caddo River drew post 7 and will be ridden by Florent Geroux.

“I think he should get a good trip from out there,” Cox said.

“We’re hopeful this could be a building block for bigger things.”

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Caddo River is a son of Hard Spun and the stakes-winning mare Pangburn, and he races for his breeder, Shortleaf Stable.

Moonlite Strike is seeking his third straight win after winning a maiden special weight and a first-level allowance earlier this winter in South Florida. Joe Talamo has the mount for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Big Thorn also has been racing in Florida, and in November won the off-the-turf Juvenile Turf at Gulfstream Park West.

Hardly Swayed has won his last two races, both at Mahoning Valley. Martini Blu was a debut winner at a mile and 70 yards in December at Hawthorne. Lawlessness is cross-entered in a Saturday sprint allowance at Oaklawn.

The Smarty Jones is a Lasix-free race, as with all the Kentucky Derby points races this meet at Oaklawn.

The forecast for the season opener Friday is a high of 55 degrees and a 25 percent chance of rain, according to The Weather Channel.

First post for the nine-race program is 12:30 p.m. Central.