Hawaakom gives Hawley long-awaited graded win in Razorback

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Hawaakom gave longtime trainer Wes Hawley the first graded stakes victory of his career Monday at Oaklawn, rolling up the rail for a 3 ¼-length victory over Leofric in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap. It was another 1 ½ lengths back in third to Rocking the Boat.

Hawaakom ($20.80) invaded from Fair Grounds off a third-place finish to Cedartown in the Louisiana Stakes on Jan. 13. It was the first start since September for Hawaakom, who last year ran second to Gun Runner in the Razorback.

“That was kind of the whole game plan when I gave him the time off, get him ready for the Louisiana Stakes down in New Orleans and maybe just get lucky and run him back up here if he’s doing good,” said Hawley. “Everything worked as planned.”

Hawaakom had one horse beat early as Rocking the Boat set fractions of 24.02 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.52 for the half-mile before Futile took over through six furlongs in 1:13.04. Hawakom bided his time along the rail, then shot through an opening in the stretch under jockey Corey Lanerie. Hawaakom covered the 1 1/16 miles on a muddy, sealed track in 1:45.14.

“Lanerie always gets through,” Hawley said after the race. “I was yelling, ‘Lanerie up the fence’ from probably the three-sixteenths pole to the wire. I’m half hoarse right now. The horse loves the fence. He’ll win on the outside, but he loves the fence.”

Following the race, Ricardo Santana Jr., the rider of fourth-place finisher Untrapped, claimed foul against second-place finisher Leofric. The stewards made no change to the order of finish.

Hawley said Hawaakom would return to Fair Grounds on Tuesday and come back to Hot Springs for the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 14. He might also run here in the $300,000 Essex Handicap on March 17.

Hawaakom earned $300,000 for his win in the Razorback, which was his ninth victory from 40 starts. Hawley owns Hawaakom with Stephan H. Smoot. An 8-year-old by Jazil, Hawaakom has now earned $925,405.

The Razorback shared a card with the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes, won by Southern California shipper My Boy Jack ($19.80).