Improving Trophy Chaser works for Oaklawn Handicap

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Tampa Bay Derby winner and Arkansas Derby-bound King Guillermo isn’t the only “big horse” in trainer Juan Avila’s arsenal.

King Guillermo must share some of the glory in the Avila stable with the older, graded stakes winner Trophy Chaser and the up-and-coming 3-year-old filly prospect Boerne.

Trophy Chaser will accompany King Guillermo to Oaklawn Park next week for the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on May 2. Trophy Chaser, a distant third in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob late last summer, has flourished since turning 4 and stretching out around two turns this season. A son of Twirling Candy, Trophy Chaser launched his current campaign locally with an 8 1/4-length optional-claiming win going 1 1/8 miles for which he earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. He validated the effort five weeks later at Tampa Bay Downs when outfinishing even-money King for a Day to upset the Grade 3 Challenger Stakes.

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On Wednesday, Trophy Chaser turned in his final serious prep for the Oaklawn Handicap going six furlongs in 1:14.20 shortly after the track opened at 5:15 a.m.

“I was very happy with that,” said Avila, who said Samy Camacho would replace the injured Paco Lopez aboard Trophy Chaser at Oaklawn.

Boerne, a 3-year-old daughter of Fed Biz, registered her second straight easy victory to launch her 3-year-old season last Saturday when drawing off by 7 1/4 lengths to dominate a relatively strong-looking field under first level optional-claiming conditions at six furlongs. The speedy filly won her maiden in similar wire-to-wire fashion going 6 1/2 furlongs five weeks earlier.

“She’s very good right now, but I really have no place to run her back at the moment,” Avila said.