Late run might just carry Whoa Nellie to victory in Bayakoa Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Whoa Nellie from off the pace? That was the case last out and could be again Monday when the promising filly seeks to win her second consecutive stakes at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 3, $200,000 Bayakoa.

The race is one of three 1 1/16-mile stakes on the card. The others are the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest, which is a points race for the Kentucky Derby, and the $500,000 Razorback Handicap.

The Bayakoa field of six includes Go Google Yourself, a Grade 3 winner invading from Fair Grounds for Jay Em Ess Stable and trainer Paul McGee, and Gold Standard, a $1.2 million auction purchase coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct.

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Whoa Nellie, who captured the $100,000 Pippin last month at Oaklawn, has a name that fits her on-tilt personality, said trainer Larry Jones.

“She’s set on go, set on 200 miles an hour at all times,” he said. “But with age, she’s maturing and kind of getting out of some of that.”

Whoa Nellie closed from next to last in the Pippin, and won by 4 1/2 lengths. She was saddled with the nine-hole in the mile race Jan. 25.

“She did well the other day,” said Jones, who trains Whoa Nellie for Fox Hill Farm. “With the post we had, it didn’t leave us with a lot of options. We took the best spot we had. It worked.”

The Pippin was the stakes debut for Whoa Nellie, and the career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 92 that she earned is the best last-race number in the Bayakoa. Whoa Nellie also has been flattered since, with runner-up Special Relativity coming back to dominate the $125,000 American Beauty at Oaklawn and eighth-place finisher Sara Sea returning to win an allowance here.

“I think it was a great move forward,” Jones said of the Pippin win for Whoa Nellie. “Showed her class.

“She’s doing well, training well, and we’re looking for a good 4-year-old year.”

Joe Rocco Jr. has the mount from post 6 and the pair could get a nice setup behind a few rivals Monday.

The front-running Gold Standard will break from the rail under Javier Castellano, who was aboard for the Comely on Nov. 29. Prior to that start, Gold Standard made her stakes debut, running second in the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks on Sept. 29.

“She’s a really honest filly, knocking on the door in graded stakes,” said Brad Cox, who trains Gold Standard for Stonestreet Stables and LNJ Foxwoods.

Gold Standard was beaten a half-length in the Remington Oaks by Lady Apple, who returned in her next start to capture the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston with a career-high Beyer Figure of 97.

Go Google Yourself is launching her season at Oaklawn, just like she did last year, when she won an allowance over Canadian champion Wonder Gadot. Go Google Yourself exits a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap on Nov. 28 at Churchill. Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard and again has the mount Monday from post 2.