Lukas finds easier spot for Backyard Money

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is taking his best shot with his mare Backyard Money in Thursday’s third race at Oaklawn Park.

She goes in a $62,500 starter allowance for fillies and mares at six furlongs after being scratched from the $250,000 Matron here last Saturday.

“They wrote a race that fits her very, very well, so I scratched her out of the stakes,” Lukas said. “I went from 15-1 to probably 3-1 by entering back, so I’m going to run her there.”

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The third race was an extra race that came up for the card. It’s one of three notable offerings on the final Thursday program of the meet that continues through May 5.

In the sixth, Tanya Showers cuts back to one turn for a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies, and in the ninth, Corningstone leads a second-level allowance route for fillies and mares in her first start since running third in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic in January.

Backyard Money, who races for Lukas and his wife, Laurie, has been lining up against a couple of candidates for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Apple Blossom Handicap. She comes off a third-place finish to Grade 2 winner Taxed in a second-level allowance sprint March 16 at Oaklawn. Backyard Money was favored that afternoon, one start after running second to millionaire Free Like a Girl in a two-turn allowance at Oaklawn.

The trainers of both Taxed and Free Like a Girl said following the respective races that the horses would be considered for the Apple Blossom.

Backyard Money on Thursday will start from post 6 under regular rider Nik Juarez. She has tactical speed and could get an ideal tracking trip off Bennykayandsuzytoo and I’m the Boss of Me, both of whom break to her inside.

Backyard Money was stakes-placed at this distance in February, when she ran second in the $150,000 Carousel. She is a daughter of Midshipman.

“We own her half-sister, Our Keepsake,” Lukas noted of the 3-year-old filly who is a winner at the meet and who was second at a level similar to this one in her last start March 16. Our Keepsake will run in the sixth race on Thursday.

Tanya Showers cuts back from 1 1/16 miles for the sixth race, which will be run at six furlongs. The last time she raced at one turn she was third in the $150,000 Dixie Belle in February. In her two-turn debut last out, Tanya Showers ran fourth to Impel, a runner trainer Brad Cox said is targeting the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland.

The Indiana-bred stakes winners Corningstone and Bluelightspecial meet in the ninth, which will be run at 1 1/16 miles. Both raced at the distance last time, with Bluelightspecial winning the Cardinal Handicap run Oct. 4 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Corningstone last raced Jan. 27 in the Houston Ladies Classic, and trainer Kenny McPeek said after the race he was going to freshen her some. The winner of the race, Bellamore, is being pointed to the Apple Blossom, according to trainer Steve Asmussen. David Cohen has the mount on Corningstone.

Stellar Lily is the chief threat, and her form could get a boost in the third race, depending on the performance from Backyard Money. Stellar Lilly finished right behind Backyard Money in third last out, in the local allowance won by Free Like a Girl.

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