Mr. Wireless should find easier going in Lake Ouachita Stakes
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The millionaire Mr. Wireless appears to be a solid favorite in the inaugural $150,000 Lake Ouachita on Friday at Oaklawn Park, and his form could look even more appealing by the time the race rolls around.
Mr. Wireless comes off a third-place finish behind West Will Power and Art Collector in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds. Both of those horses are set to run back in the Alysheba early Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
The Lake Ouachita goes as the 10th of 11 races. The field of nine for the 1 1/16-mile feature for 4-year-olds and up includes Grade 3 winners Forza Di Oro and Great Escape, Iowa Derby winner Ain’t Life Grand, and Zia Park Derby winner Perfect Flight.
Mr. Wireless is a multiple Grade 3 winner searching for his first victory of the year. He was second by a neck in the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds in his first start of the season Jan. 21. Mr. Wireless then was second by a head in the track’s Grade 3 Mineshaft ahead of the New Orleans Classic.
“He’s been a little unlucky not to have won,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “He’s run really good, run really hard, just gotten beat by some good horses. I feel bad for him that he hadn’t won one.
“He ran a great race in the New Orleans Classic, just got outrun by a better horse that day.”
West Will Power earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 109 in the New Orleans Classic, which ranks as the year’s highest Beyer in races longer than a mile. Mr. Wireless earned a 101, which is the best last-race Beyer in the Lake Ouachita.
Deshawn Parker has the mount on Mr. Wireless from post 7 for owners Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable. Mr. Wireless is returning to an Oaklawn surface over which he is 2 for 2.
Calhoun on Friday also sends out Mailman Money, who is coming off an allowance win at Fair Grounds. He will break from post 3 under Gabe Saez, who has the mount for Allied Racing Stable.
“I think it’s a good placement for both of these horses,” Calhoun said. “I think they’ve got as good a shot to win as anything in there.
“I would say Mr. Wireless has got tactical speed. He’s not really a fast horse, but he usually gets himself in the race and I would say Mailman Money is similar, maybe a little bit quicker early on. I think both will be involved in the race – not on the lead, but they’ll be involved.”
Forza Di Oro and Great Escape could set the fractions Friday.
◗ Calhoun said that Go West, who is 4 for 5 this year after winning an allowance last week at Oaklawn, will make his next start in either the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile or $100,000 Speightstown Sprint, both May 29 at Lone Star Park.
◗ Jockey Luis Rodriguez Castro, currently riding in New York, will move his tack to Louisiana Downs next week, agent Dylan Fazio said. Castro will be riding first call for owner Danny Caldwell and trainer Martin Villafranco, who are new to the meet, which opens Saturday.
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