Heartwood holds on in King Cotton

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Heartwood held off a fast-closing Control Stake to win the $100,000 King Cotton on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. It was another neck back to Gordy Florida in third.

The King Cotton was the first step on the local road to the Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap here in April.

Heartwood ($6.20) tracked the pace set by Gordy Florida, who ran an opening quarter in 22.26 seconds and a half-mile in 45.69 on a track that was upgraded to fast. The winner overtook that one in the stretch and fought off the closing bid of Control Stake to cover the distance in 1:09.99.

David Cohen was aboard the winner for trainer James K. Chapman.

Chapman also co-owns the horse with Stuart Tsujimoto. Heartwood is a son of Tapit and the multiple stakes-winning mare Maple Forest. He has now won 6 of 26 starts and earned $451,403. He was winning the third stakes race of his career in the King Cotton.

The estimated ontrack attendance Saturday was 12,500, according to officials with Oaklawn.