Dimatic back on track after Zia Perk Derby score
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Steve Asmussen said after Dimatic’s last race that he believed about 60 days between starts might best suit the stakes winner, and that’s the kind of timeline Dimatic has been on heading into the Friday feature at Oaklawn Park.
The 4-year-old makes his first start since capturing the $300,000 Zia Park Derby in November in the ninth race. Here, he’ll face fellow non-winners of four in a $132,000 allowance that offers an optional claiming price of $75,000. It will be run over a mile and drew a field of 10 that includes stakes-quality rivals Speed Bias and Denington.
The card Friday is the first since Oaklawn was forced to cancel racing last weekend due to a winter storm system. It opens a four-day raceweek that includes a special holiday card on Monday.
Dimatic was a two-time winner last season at Oaklawn, taking a maiden special weight in February and a first-level allowance in May. Both races were run over 1 1/16 miles in the slop. Between those starts, he ran fifth in the Grade 2 Rebel. Dimatic would go on to run second in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby before nailing down his first stakes win in the Zia Park Derby.
Keith Asmussen has the mount from post 8 for Winchell Thoroughbreds.
Speed Bias was third in the $200,000 Temperence Hill last season at Oaklawn. Rafael Bejarano has the mount from the rail for trainer Ron Moquett.
Denington has picked up checks in multiple stakes, including a third-place finish in the St. Louis Derby in 2023 and a fifth-place finish in the Zia Park Championship in November.
The card Friday also includes a conditioned allowance for Arkansas-breds at six furlongs. It goes as the 10th race and drew stakes winner King Peanut as part of a field of 12. Bettys Cash, who was third against $40,000 starter allowance rivals in his last start at Oaklawn, figures to get good support Friday. One Ten Stadium, who is making his first start since June, is another key contender.
The card Friday also includes a maiden special weight of interest. The second race is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles, and the field of nine includes Darrow. He is a 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo and a half-brother to Matareya, a Grade 1 winner of more than $1.6 million. Darrow is making his second start after finishing third in a maiden special weight sprint at Fair Grounds on Dec. 22 that went in good time.
Darrow has worked back at Fair Grounds since the start, going five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 on Jan. 12. The move might give him a conditioning edge on some of his local rivals, as the storm system left the Oaklawn track closed for training from last Thursday through Tuesday.
◗ Oaklawn Park has received Arkansas Racing Commission approval to add a Thursday card, Jan. 30, to its schedule to make up for some of the dates lost to the winter storm. The track could add more dates later in the season to make up for additional lost time and announced in a press release that those discussions are being held with the Arkansas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.
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