Hoosier Philly has a lot going for her in Dig A Diamond

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Hoosier Philly will have a number of key variables in her favor Saturday when she makes her second start of the year in the $200,000 Dig A Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The race is one of two stakes on the program. Valentine Candy will be looking for his fourth stakes win at the meet in the $200,000 Bachelor. Post time for the 11-race card is 12:30 p.m. Central.

The Dig A Diamond is a mile race for fillies and mares and it will end at the sixteenth pole. A field of nine is set to start, including Grade 3 winner Crypto Mo, stakes winners Olivia Twist, and Bluelightspecial, and sprint-to-route prospect I’m the Boss of Me.

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Hoosier Philly is the most accomplished member of the field as a Grade 2 winner of more than $700,000 for Gold Standard Racing Stable. She enters off a close fifth-place finish in the $250,000 Matron, a six-furlong race March 30 at Oaklawn. Hoosier Philly arrived Tuesday from Churchill Downs and trainer Tom Amoss is looking forward to the start in the Dig A Diamond.

“She’s got a race off the bench now under her belt,” he said, “and we’re at what I consider a preferred distance for her, from a sprint to two turns. So, I think those things are reasons to be optimistic about her performance.”

Amoss also will be making an equipment change, removing the blinkers Hoosier Philly wore in her last two starts.

“That was a brief experiment,” he said. “It didn’t help or hurt, so we’re just taking them off.”

Hoosier Philly has turned in three consecutive bullet works in advance of the Dig A Diamond, with two on dirt and her latest on turf.

“We worked her on the grass and the idea behind that is, I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to do that,” Amoss said. “Churchill offered that and we took advantage of it. I thought she went well over it. I can see a race down the road where she’s on the grass.”

For the Dig A Diamond, jockey Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Hoosier Philly from post 3.

“The race is going to kind of dictate her running style,” Amoss said. “When you look at that race, you see quite a bit of early speed in there. We’re down toward the inside. We’ll definitely let the race play out a little bit, find a spot. But I think the pace is going to be quick up front and we’ve got to be prepared to adjust to whatever the pace scenario is.”

I’m the Boss of Me figures to be quite prominent when she starts from post 2 under regular rider Francisco Arrieta. She will be moving to two turns after showing speed in a series of sprint races, among her efforts a third-place finish in the Poinsettia at 5 1/2 furlongs at Oaklawn.

“I’ve always wanted to run her a mile,” said co-owner and trainer Greg Compton. “I think she could have a tactical advantage in that spot. With her speed, if they leave her alone a little bit, she might be tough to catch in that short stretch.

“When I claimed her, her best race to date was a flat mile at Los Alamitos. So, she has some experience at the distance. I think she ran second that night. We’ll see how it happens.”

Olivia Twist is another stretching out in distance. She won over six furlongs in March at Sunland Park. It was her first out since July.

“She came back and ran really good, trying to set her up for the Dig A Diamond,” said trainer Todd Fincher.

“She got a good break and has come back and looks great. Hopefully, she’ll have a good season.”

Olivia Twist is a stakes winner at a mile, having accounted for the Trapeze at 2 at Remington Park. Cristian Torres was aboard for the win back in 2022 and has the mount Saturday from post 6.

Olivia Twist brings a hot pedigree to the table as her half-brother Skippylongstocking won the Grade 2, $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap last weekend in Hot Springs.

Valentine Candy tops Bachelor

Valentine Candy will be looking to close out a memorable Oaklawn meet in the Bachelor, which is for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. He’s won three stakes at the meet, which wraps up May 5.

Valentine Candy took the Advent on opening day Dec. 8, the Renaissance on Dec. 31, and the Ozark on Feb. 10.

“Nice horse,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.

The other stakes winner in the seven-horse field is Bergen, who captured the Jimmy Winkfield in January at Aqueduct. He is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Chi Town Lady.

Time for Truth and Frost Free share the field’s best career Beyer Speed Figure of 89. The horses are both returning to the distance over which they earned the number. Time for Truth put up the Beyer winning a maiden special weight Dec. 31 and Frost Free earned the same number for a first-level allowance win March 1.

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