Disc Jockey faces a tough group in quest for fifth straight win

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Disc Jockey will be seeking to win his fifth straight race Sunday when he starts as the probable favorite in a competitive eighth race feature at Oaklawn Park.

The two-other-than allowance is for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles and carries an optional claiming price of $62,500. The purse is $106,000.

A field of nine has signed on, including Number One Dude, a top Oklahoma-bred making his first start at Oaklawn; Presidential, who was the runner-up in last year’s Texas Derby at Lone Star Park; Tiz Rye Time, who has been facing the tough Keystone Field; and Winterwood, a recent first-level allowance winner at Oaklawn.

Disc Jockey has built his streak racing at three different tracks, in three different states, for two different barns.

“He’s a solid racehorse,” said trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Diodoro claimed Disc Jockey on behalf of owner Jerry Caroom on Sept. 23 at Los Alamitos in Southern California. The horse won the $25,000 claiming sprint to begin his streak, taking a mile race by two lengths.

“He had some conditions left and at the time we were looking for some higher-up conditioned horses,” Diodoro said. “He kind of the fit the bill.”

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Disc Jockey made his first start for his new connections at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, winning a first-level allowance by 6 1/2 lengths. He then won a second allowance at Remington on Nov. 8 before shipping to Oaklawn and capturing a third allowance Dec. 17.

In the latter race, Disc Jockey defeated Winterwood, who came back to win a first-level allowance in his next start, and the multiple graded stakes-placed Barber Road, who was to have started as the probable favorite in a first-level allowance Saturday at Oaklawn.

Disc Jockey dueled on the front end and battled back for a length win under regular rider Cristian Torres.

“He was very game,” Diodoro said. “It looked like he was beat. They went a half in 46 [seconds] and I couldn’t even watch the race. I thought they’d run right into the ground. Like I said, it was a very game effort. If you watch the replay down the lane, he was very impressive, I thought.”

Disc Jockey earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 97, which is the best last-race number in the field Sunday.

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“Hopefully, he’s getting better,” Diodoro said. “To me, it seems like he is. He’s just a big, solid horse.”

Disc Jockey, a son of Bodemeister, will break from post 3.

Winterwood will start from the rail. He is moving back to the 1 1/16-mile distance of his maiden win after winning at a mile Jan. 8. Rafael Bejarano has the mount again for trainer Terry Brennan.

Oklahoma-bred Number One Dude, a six-time stakes winner, made a rare start against open company last out and finished second by a half-length in the $100,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial on Dec. 17 at Remington Park. The winner of the race, Rated R Superstar, is a multiple Grade 3 winner who has since finished third in the Fifth Season at Oaklawn.

David Cabrera has the mount on Number One Dude for trainer Dallas Stewart.

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