Mystic Guide powers to Razorback triumph

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Mystic Guide indicated his intent to be a force in the handicap division Saturday when he powered to a six-length win in the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park.

The race was one of two graded offerings on the card alongside the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes, and both were won by horses bred and owned by Godolphin and ridden by Luis Saez. A few races after the Razorback, champion Essential Quality captured the Southwest for the connections and trainer Brad Cox.

Mystic Guide ($6.40), who is trained by Michael Stidham, was the 121-pound highweight in the Razorback off a promising season in which he won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in September at Saratoga and finished a close second in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in October.

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In the Razorback, he stalked the pace set by Hunka Burning Love, who took the field through fractions of 23.69 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.61 for the half-mile and 1:12.99 for six furlongs. Mystic Guide advanced on the turn and, despite a wide trip throughout, had more in the lane, pulling away late while covering 1 1/16 miles in the slop in 1:44.33.

“Certainly you worry when you’re hung wide on both turns like that and you wonder if that’s going to take away some finish, but obviously that didn’t matter,” Stidham said.

Mystic Guide was racing on a wet track for the first time and the surface, which was good up to the fifth race, was downgraded to sloppy after a sudden rainstorm at Oaklawn.

Silver Prospector finished second in the Razorback, while it was another 1 1/14 lengths back in third to favorite Owendale.

Stidham said the next move with Mystic Guide is to be determined after discussions with the team at Godolophin.

“In the back of our mind there was some consideration for the Dubai World Cup and now, after that kind of a performance, it’s going to be strongly on the table,” Stidham said. “That will be something we’ll discuss. The New Orleans Handicap will certainly be considered and the race here, the Oaklawn Handicap. All those races are going to be strong considerations.”

Mystic Guide is based in New Orleans. He is a son of Ghostzapper who has now won 3 of 7 starts and has earned $553,200.

* Kimari ($3.40) was a 4 1/4-length winner over Casual in the $200,000 Spring Fever, a 5 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares. She covered the distance on a sloppy track in 1:04.07. Joel Rosario was aboard for trainer Wesley Ward.