McPeek's Oaklawn division performing well

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Ken McPeek had a hot hand with 3-year-olds last week at Oaklawn Park. He sent out Kentucky Oaks candidate Pangburn to win her season debut in memorable fashion. The Truth Or Else ran second in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest at 22-1, and Magic of Believing picked off his second straight route race to punch his ticket to a Kentucky Derby prep that might end up being in Dubai.

McPeek has a 25-horse division at Oaklawn, where he’s won five races from 25 starts for stable earnings of $305,521. The young talent McPeek’s developing has been a big part of the success, but so have older runners like Apple Blossom candidate Flashy American, who missed by a neck when second in the recent Grade 3 Bayakoa.

“I’m really pleased with the direction the barn is going,” McPeek said.

McPeek has brought a division of horses to Oaklawn the past several seasons, but this year he’s had more starters in part because he did not send horses to south Florida. McPeek also has a string of runners at Sam Houston Race Park, where C J’s Awesome is entered in Saturday night’s $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup. He said there were a couple of reasons to keep the stable in this region, among them record purses at Oaklawn.

“I’ve also got horses for more people that race in the Midwest,” McPeek said of clients like Arkansas businessman John Ed Anthony. “I’ve raced at Oaklawn in the past and always loved it here. I like the lifestyle. I got really tired of the Miami traffic!”

Pangburn established herself as a Kentucky Oaks candidate last September at Churchill, where in her second career start she ran second in the Grade 2 Pocahontas. She did nothing to diminish her reputation Feb. 20, when she trailed to the stretch in a deep first-level allowance route and came with a big run to record a 1 1/4-length win. Pangburn spotted her rivals several lengths at the start, as she turned her head and “left flat-footed,” said McPeek.

“She’s shown nothing but class from Day One,” McPeek said of the filly owned by Anthony. “She’s just a pleasure to be around. I think she’s got to be a serious contender for the Kentucky Oaks.”

McPeek said the reason Pangburn made just two starts at 2 was because she became sick last fall.

“She backed out of the feed tub prerace for the Alcibiades, and several markers ended up being off on her blood count,” he said. “It was one of those deals we just had to pull her out and had to wait.”

Pangburn got some time off at a farm in Kentucky, and resumed training in November.

“She’s bigger. She’s stronger. She’s happy,” McPeek said.

Pangburn’s road to the Kentucky Oaks is still being crafted. She is nominated to the Honeybee at Oaklawn on March 7, and is also nominated to the track’s Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy, as well as the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland.

“She’s possible for the Honeybee, but we’re going to take it right up to race time,” McPeek said. “I think two [Kentucky Oaks preps] would be great, but it might only be one. We’ve got to go over everything with Mr. Anthony, and figure out what to do exactly.”

The Truth Or Else’s path is clear after he ran a bang-up second in the Southwest in his first start since November. Last year, he was third in the Grade 1 Champagne.

“He’s going to the Rebel,” McPeek said. “It’s a good spot for him. He’s got a race under his belt, and a race over the track.”

Magic of Believing, who won a first-level allowance Feb. 19, is likely to advance to stakes competition.

“We’re contemplating the Spiral [at Turfway Park], or the Sunland Park Derby, or the UAE Derby,” McPeek said. “One of the reasons we’re not running him in the Rebel is I think the race is too short for him. I think he wants a mile and an eighth, if not a mile and a quarter. I’ve got to discuss with his full ownership about Dubai. The race is a mile and three-sixteenths, which I think is even better for the horse.”

Magic of Believing is one of two potential starters McPeek could have for the Dubai World Cup undercard March 28. Golden Ticket is a candidate for the Godolphin Mile.

“Golden Ticket, it looks like, is going to Dubai,” McPeek said of the Grade 1 winner. “It’s a good possibility. He’s a really good flat-mile horse. We’ve been trying to get him back to that.”

McPeek said Joel Rosario would ride Golden Ticket, whose travel schedule would have him fly from Oaklawn to Florida in the next couple of weeks, then on to Dubai.

Flashy American will stay stateside and target the Grade 2, $300,000 Azeri at Oaklawn, said McPeek.