Hiles, wearer of many hats, turns Digital back in distance
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Rick Hiles has spent more than two decades working tirelessly for the interests of owners, trainers, and backstretch personnel in his role with the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.
Now, it’s time for one of his trainees to get back to work.
Digital launches his 6-year-old season in Sunday’s featured eighth race at Oaklawn Park. He’s part of a field of eight for the $40,000 starter allowance for older horses at six furlongs. The race also carries a claiming option of $50,000.
Fore Left, a Group 3 winner who leads the field in earnings with more than $480,000, also will get good support. Others set to start include the comebacking Full Authority, stakes winner Jerry’s Eighty, and Delaware Park allowance winner Chief Ron.
Hiles is the current president of the Kentucky HBPA, a role he’s served in for 21 years. He’s also a past president of the National HBPA, the current southern region vice president of the National HBPA, the chairman of the board of the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund, and committee member of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
“I stay busy,” quipped the 74-year-old Hiles.
Digital is part of a five-horse stable the trainer has at Oaklawn. Digital is cutting back to one turn after finishing fifth in the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at 1 1/8 miles on Nov. 12 at Churchill Downs.
“There were a lot of good horses in there,” Hiles said of the Jewel. “The horse that won it came back and won a big feature the other day.”
Jewel winner Keystone Field took down a two-other-than allowance Jan. 7 at Oaklawn, with a Beyer Speed Figure of 102.
The Jewel was run in the slop, and Hiles said he would prefer a fast track for Digital on Sunday.
“It looks like we’re going to get one,” he said.
Hiles sharpened Digital’s skills for the turnback in distance with a half-mile drill in 48 seconds Jan. 10 at Oaklawn. In August, he won a two-other-than allowance over 1 1/16 miles at Churchill in his first start for Hiles.
“I like him,” Hiles said. “Six furlongs is a little shorter than he wants to go. When we first got him, we thought, ‘This horse wants to run long.’ We tried to get him in long here, and they didn’t use the race. He’s been off a couple of months, this spot came up, and it’s a good place to start him back.”
David Cabrera has the mount for R. Townsend Sparks from post 7.
Hiles said Digital is a horse who typically bids from off the pace. The son of Into Mischief is out of the stakes-winning mare Cool Spell, who has produced the stakes winner Coarsegold.
As for Hiles, he felt called to serve his fellow horsemen through his work with the HBPA and other organizations. The Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund, for example, is a non-profit providing assistance to industry members in need. Hiles’s dedication to the people of the racing industry makes Digital an easy horse to root for Sunday.
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