Hollis will gun it in return to dirt

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The last time Hollis was seen racing on dirt, he finished second in the fastest six-furlong sprint of the Oaklawn Park meet.

He’s back in town Thursday to face fellow stakes winners Long Weekend, Gold Street, and Direct Dial in a competitive allowance that has a claiming option of $80,000. The 5 1/2-furlong race is worth $110,000.

Hollis put up one of his best Beyer Speed Figures in a March 11 allowance at Oaklawn, when he dueled for the lead and finished second in a six-furlong race that went in 1:08.91. He finished 3 1/2 lengths behind winner Strike Power and earned a Beyer of 93.

“He ran such a huge number, we thought we should give him a shot at a stakes race,” said John Ortiz, who trains Hollis. “He’d won on the turf and he’d won running a little bit shorter, so we were looking at cutting him back to five and a half furlongs.”

Hollis landed in the Grade 2 Shakertown on April 3 at Keeneland. The front-runner never got close to the lead and ended up 12th. The 5 1/2-furlong race run on good turf went in a quick 1:02.19.

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“He didn’t have his trip,” Ortiz said. “He wants to be up front, by himself. Coming back on dirt, he seems to have a much better turn of foot. We plan on keeping him on dirt for now.”

Hollis won the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico last year, and registered his other stakes win in January in the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint on dirt at Sam Houston. For the Thursday feature, he will be back on Lasix after racing without the diuretic last time due to stakes protocols at Keeneland.

Hollis will start from post 2 under David Cabrera.

“He usually does what he does – he breaks and he goes to front,” Ortiz said. “You can’t stop him from what he loves to do, and what he likes to do is go fast.”

Hollis is a son of Street Sense who races for WSS Racing and 4 G Racing.

Long Weekend is making his first start at 4. In his final prep for his return he worked five-eighths in 59.40 seconds on April 14 at Churchill Downs. Last year, the horse won both the Gazebo and Bachelor at Oaklawn.

Long Weekend last raced Aug. 29, running fifth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga. The first three finishers from that race all returned to win a stakes in their next start, led by Yaupon in the Grade 3 Chick Lang at Pimlico with a Beyer of 99.

David Cohen has the mount on Long Weekend for trainer Tom Amoss.

Gold Street won the Smarty Jones last year at Oaklawn, while Direct Dial comes off back-to-back Texas-bred stakes wins at Sam Houston.

More attendance options

Oaklawn has had limited attendance options because of the coronavirus pandemic, but on Thursday will open its outside apron to all, according to an admissions update. There will be no charge to access the area.

Oaklawn’s infield will continue to be open on Saturdays and Sunday. The track has added an additional date of Friday, April 30. The final day of the meet is May 1.