Heart Rhythm may try Commonwealth Stakes
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer John Ortiz said Heart Rhythm is under consideration for the Grade 3, $300,000 Commonwealth at Keeneland following his allowance win Thursday at Oaklawn Park.
The Commonwealth, for 4-year-olds and up at seven furlongs, will be held April 8.
Heart Rhythm finished with a flourish Thursday when he won a six-furlong allowance in the slop in a sharp 1:09.80. For the effort, he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
“He had a fantastic gallop out,” Ortiz said. “He’s a very versatile horse. He’s got tactical speed, can sit off of it.
“I like six and a half, seven [furlongs], up to a one-turn mile for him,” Ortiz said. “We’ll see what our next destination with him will be. The Commonwealth is a definite consideration.”
Heart Rhythm, who recently placed in a pair of sprint stakes at Fair Grounds, races for TEC Racing.
Ortiz also trains Gar Hole, who is coming off a win in the Nodouble Stakes over six furlongs at Oaklawn. He won in 1:10 in the slop and earned a Beyer of 91.
“He’s got to be the fastest Arkansas-bred in the world right now,” said Ortiz.
He said that Gar Hole, owned by breeder Shortleaf Stable, could make his next start in Kentucky.
Sprints for Corona Bolt
Triple Crown nominee Corona Bolt is 3 for 3 at one turn following a sharp allowance victory at Oaklawn and will likely remain in the sprint ranks for now, according to trainer Brad Cox.
Corona Bolt zipped six furlongs in 1:09.41 on a fast track March 5 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
“He ran good, came out of it in good order,” Cox said. “I don’t know where we’re going next, but we’ll be thinking about one turn.”
Corona Bolt was cutting back from a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn. Prior to the start, he won the Sugar Bowl, a sprint stakes at Fair Grounds.
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◗ Two Eagles River, a recent allowance winner at Oaklawn, is scheduled to make his next start in the track’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby, said co-owner Michael Robinson.
◗ Oaklawn is nearing its Hall of Fame Day celebration March 18. There are 20 to 25 members of the National Horse Racing Hall of Fame who have indicated they plan to be in attendance for the event, said Wayne Smith, general manager of Oaklawn. There will be an autograph session among other activities for the event, first held in 2022.
◗ The Arkansas Racetrack Chaplaincy will conduct its annual Banquet Bash on March 16 at the event center at Oaklawn, said co-chaplain Robi Heffington. There will be a live and silent auction for a variety of items, including a new “Owner for a Day” experience at Oaklawn.
◗ The Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association is scheduled to have its annual awards banquet on April 7 in the event center at Oaklawn, said executive secretary Deana Echols.
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