HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Agent Kiaran McLaughlin celebrated a “throwback” win of sorts last month when the rider he represents, Luis Saez, guided Bigwrigdude to a maiden victory Feb. 26 at Oaklawn. The horse is trained by Greg Burchell, who also co-bred and co-owns the son of Sticksstatelydude. “That was fun,” McLaughlin said. “Greg and I go back over 50 years. We were best buddies at 10 years old. That’s how I got in the business. His dad owned horses. “One of my summers when I was 15, I was in Hot Springs helping the family build a farm, with fence posts and this and that. And then I worked for the Burchells for a few years before I went to work for other people. But Greg and I were best buddies and that’s how I got in the game.” McLaughlin, a former assistant to the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, carved out a highly successful training career in his own right. He won six consecutive Grade 1 races with Invasor in a streak that included the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2007 Dubai World Cup. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Some other horses McLaughlin won Grade 1 races with as a trainer include Alpha, Cavorting, Divine Park, Flashy Bull, Frosted, Henny Hughes, It’s Tricky, Jazil, Lahudood, Seventh Street, Tamarkuz and Wedding Toast. McLaughlin and Burchell also shared the training duties on Grade 3 winner Sticksstatelydude. Carmona remains hospitalized Jockey Serafin Carmona, who was injured in the ninth race last Thursday at Oaklawn, is expected to remain in a local hospital through at least Tuesday, agent Penny Ffitch-Heyes said. She said she was informed that Carmona has fractured at least two vertebrae and has a broken rib and that he is still undergoing tests. He remains sedated to avoid further swelling of his brain. “The neurologist said he will recover,” Ffitch-Heyes said in an update via text Sunday. “His cervical fractures are not engaging neurological tissues. “The main concussion is on his left side, but they’re giving him time to recover in his brain to get back to normal. It’s going to take time and a lot depends on Serafin, but as resilient as he is…” Ffitch-Heyes said a Go Fund Me page has been established for Carmona, who will need financial assistance. “He’s such a good kid, a wonderful person,” Ffitch-Heyes said. “The amount of people that showed up for him just shows you how well-liked he is.”  Purse incentive announced Oaklawn has announced a new purse incentive tied to field size that will begin March 19. Purses for overnight races will be boosted if the race has more than nine betting interests.    Oaklawn’s allowance and maiden special weight races “will receive an additional $5,000 in purse money for each official starter above nine betting interests,” according to a press release. The track’s claiming races will receive an additional $2,000 for each starter over nine betting interests. There is the potential for allowances to be worth as much as $140,000 and the meet’s minimum purse to reach $36,000. “We’re always looking for ways to strengthen the racing product for both our horsemen and our fans,” Lou Cella, president of Oaklawn, said in a release. “This program provides additional purse money when races draw larger fields while supporting the competitive racing our fans expect at Oaklawn.” The purse incentive will run through the close of the season May 2. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.