Half-brothers square off in Nodouble Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Hoonani Road will bring a new title into the $100,000 Nodouble on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The horse, who won the race a year ago, has been crowned the 2019 Arkansas-bred of the year.

The honor based on earnings comes from the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders and Horsemen’s Association, which had been scheduled to make a presentation to the horse’s breeder, Bobby Hall, during its annual banquet April 3.

But that event has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Deana Echols, executive secretary of the ATBHA. She said Hoonani Road’s dam, Nana, also earned Hall honors from the organization as its broodmare of the year for 2019.

Nana, as it turns out, has two sons in the nine-horse Nodouble, as Destiny Way, a half-brother to Hoonani Road, also goes in the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Arkansas. Both horses race for Jerry Caroom.

“Bobby Hall and I have a good working relationship,” said Caroom, who bought both runners privately. “We’re very supportive of each other. The main thing I told him is any horse I get from him, I’ll give every chance in the world to be good.”

Hoonani Road, a 5-year-old by Jonesboro, can go over $500,000 in career earnings Saturday. His chief rivals include K J’s Nobility and Bandit Point, who each won preps for the Nodouble.

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“Hoonani Road, he’s just been a wonderful horse,” Caroom said. “A good experience. These two that are running are two of the last three horses that Jack Van Berg and I picked out.”

Van Berg, who has since died, was one of Caroom’s first trainers. Wayne Catalano has trained Hoonani Road, and Carl Deville trains Destiny Road, who is a 4-year-old by Hamazing Destiny.

Hoonani Road, a three-time stakes winner, enters the Nodouble off a third-place finish in an allowance prep March 12 at Oaklawn. It was his second start since November. Following the race, Hoonani Road was found to have a subepiglottic cyst, Caroom said.

“We treated it aggressively,” Caroom said. “We didn’t know if we would get vet clearance and because Destiny Way, his little brother, was doing so well, we said, ‘Okay, let’s target the Nodouble with him.’

“A few days ago, the vet gave Hoonani Road clearance, so it’s just one of those things where I had two things happening at the same time. I said, ‘Let’s go ahead and do it.’ ”

Destiny Way, who is making his fourth career start, comes off an allowance win over a strong field at Oaklawn. Joe Talamo has the mount, while Channing Hill will ride Hoonani Road.

“It’s a tough little race,” Caroom said. “Wish us luck!”