Diodoro has two possibles for Razorback Handicap

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Robertino Diodoro has made a splash in sprint stakes at the past few Oaklawn Park meets, but the barn is set for some action in route stakes in the immediate future courtesy of Mishegas and Way Striking.

Both horses have been nominated to the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap here Feb. 20, with Mishegas probable to start, Diodoro said; a decision hasn’t been made on Way Striking. Mishegas closed from well back to win an optional $35,000 claiming route by 2 3/4 lengths on Jan. 21. The horse was previously based in Southern California and last fall finished fourth to Accelerate in two stakes, including the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby.

Way Striking, who was a close fifth in the $200,000 Zia Park Derby in November, swept to a half-length win in an optional $50,000 claiming route last Friday at Oaklawn.

“He’s just getting better,” Diodoro said. “You go back and watch some of his replays from this summer, and he runs on 80 percent effort. I give Rob [Atras], my assistant, a lot of credit with the idea of pulling the blinkers off. I think that helped him [Friday]. I think it was a 90-95 percent effort. If he decides to lay it all down, he’ll make the next step. He’s a nice horse.”

Way Striking races for Mercedes Stable, and Mishegas goes for M and M Racing.

Diodoro has another quality route runner at the meet in Inside Straight, who last Saturday ran second to stakes winner Domain’s Rap in an optional $62,500 claimer at a mile. Plans are to be determined, but Diodoro said Inside Straight also is improving.

“He could be a nice little stakes horse in Canada this summer,” he said.

Last year, Inside Straight won the $75,000 Manitoba Derby.

Diodoro’s sprint division at this meet is led by Storm Advisory, who popped a career-high 103 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the $125,000 King Cotton at Oaklawn on Saturday. It was the first stakes victory for the 5-year-old horse, who set the pace and scored a 2 3/4-length win over a field that included Grade 3 winner Ivan Fallunovalot.

“The plan was to sit off of it,” Diodoro said. “It definitely hurt Ivan that the 1 horse scratched and he was literally breaking out of the 1 hole. The 1 hole is never great for a sprinter.”

Diodoro said Storm Advisory is improving. He won his second straight race in the King Cotton.

“He ran decent as a 4-year-old, but a 4-year-old year is a tough year for a horse,” Diodoro said. “He’s just showing signs of getting better and better, and that’s what we’ve liked about him. He ran great.”

Diodoro said Storm Advisory will be pointed to the $125,000 Hot Springs Stakes here March 11, a race the trainer won last year with the now-retired Subtle Indian, who also accounted for the meet’s biggest prize for sprinters, the Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap.

Storm Advisory races for River Ridge Ranch.