Last Samurai gets past Classic Causeway in Essex Handicap
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Last Samurai continued his love affair with Oaklawn Park and perhaps his ascension in the older dirt male division by rallying past Classic Causeway en route to a one-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Essex Handicap at the Arkansas track.
Classic Causeway, making his first start on dirt since a third in last summer’s Ohio Derby, set all the pace and finished a clear second, 2 3/4 lengths in front of Forza Di Oro. Vittorio was fourth, followed by Tawny Port, Silver Prospector, Rated R Superstar, Necker Island and Call Me Fast. Keystone Field was scratched.
The Essex victory came a month after Last Samurai won the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap by 1 1/2 lengths at Oaklawn. It was Last Samurai’s sixth win from 24 starts, fourth from nine starts at Oaklawn, all stakes victories. Last Samurai in 2022 won the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap, a race which he will likely attempt to win again on April 22.
In the Essex, Last Samurai drew the outside post in what became a nine-horse field. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said he told jockey Cristian Torres the race would likely be won on the first turn and felt confident when Torres had Last Samurai three-wide and an up-close fourth, just two lengths behind Classic Causeway entering the clubhouse turn.
“When he dropped in nicely like that and showed a little speed, I thought that we had a great chance,” Lukas told Oaklawn publicity.
Classic Causeway, under Flavien Prat, maintained the lead through six furlongs in 1:12.65. Torres had moved Last Samurai into second just outside the quarter pole, ran to and then with Classic Causeway until the eighth pole before edging clear.
Last Samurai, owned by Willis Horton Racing, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.17 and returned $4 as the even-money favorite.
“He’s a horse that it takes a long time to start going, but I was in the perfect spot today,” Torres told Oaklawn publicity. “I was where I wanted to be. Right when I hit the half-mile pole, I started asking him because I know he takes a while. When he turned for home, he just exploded. He finished up really well.”
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