First Mission back from layoff to face red-hot Banishing in Razorback
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The millionaires shippers First Mission, Crupi, and Red Route One will face the sharp local runner Banishing in Sunday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park.
The 1 1/16-mile race is part of a Rebel Day card that was moved from Saturday to Sunday due to a winter storm. First post is noon Central.
First Mission is the 122-pound highweight for the Razorback and will spot his 13 rivals between one and seven pounds. The Grade 2 winner of $1.3 million is making his first start since Aug. 3, when he finished an uncharacteristic seventh in the Grade 1 Whitney. Prior to that start, First Mission was fourth in the Stephen Foster and won both the Alysheba and Essex. He has been working for his return at Fair Grounds.
“He’s ready,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I think he fits well, so we need the races we saw from him in the Essex last year and the Alysheba. I don’t know if he just didn’t take to the heat last summer in the Stephen Foster and the Whitney.
“We really liked him going into the Stephen Foster, but he just ran a flat race for whatever reason. He trained well enough to give him a chance in the Whitney, and another flat effort. There were no serious issues other than he just seemed like a tired, flat horse and now we’ve given him the time, he’s come back, and he’s trained well, got a nice series of works. If we see the First Mission that showed up in the Lexington or Essex, we’ll be in good shape.”
Florent Geroux has the mount from post 3 for Godolphin.
Banishing owns the meet’s highest Beyer Speed Figure, a 103 for his win in a Dec. 20 allowance sprint. He came back and captured the $145,000 Byerley Turk overnight stakes going six furlongs Jan. 23. The 100 Beyer he earned is tied for second highest of the Oaklawn season. He’s moving back to two turns Sunday for the first time since June.
“It just seemed to open up for him,” trainer David Jacobson said of the Razorback. “The timing was right, and he looks like he’s just on top of his game to stretch out to the two turns.
“He’s been a sprinter, but also in his past career he had two really dynamite two-turn races.”
Flavien Prat has the mount from post 2.
“He’ll be closer, he’ll be laying close,” Jacobson said. “On the inside, he’ll be running into the first turn. It will be up to Flavien to use his best judgment. It will be totally up to him.”
Grade 2 winner Crupi is in from South Florida, where he closed for seventh in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. He encountered trouble at the start and found himself trailing early in the field of 11. One start prior, Crupi was fourth in the Grade 2 Clark won by Rattle N Roll, who was to have run back Saturday in the $20 million Saudi Cup.
Dylan Davis has the mount from the rail for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Red Route One, a Grade 2 winner of $1.8 million, is up from Fair Grounds. Cristian Torres has the mount from post 12 for trainer Steve Asmussen.
The field also includes Grade 3 winner Skinner and stakes winners Full Screen, Dimatic, Henro, and Seize the Night.
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