Oak Hill makes first start since being gelded

Without them for the first time in a race, Oak Hill might be the nuts in the featured ninth race Sunday at Fair Grounds.

Oak Hill, in his final start at age 3, raced keenly and faded late to finish 10th in the Dec. 26 Woodchopper Stakes. The decision was made thereafter to geld the horse, and he races for the first time Sunday following the ultimate equipment change.

“He’s a big son of a gun, a huge animal, and is not easy to train,” said trainer Al Stall Jr. “Actually, he hasn’t been that much easier to train since he was gelded; he’s still strong in the morning. I’m interested to see how that goes.”

Even so, gelding could really help Oak Hill, who has tried to get out in some of his races and succeeded at it in one of them last summer at Saratoga, blowing the far turn. In addition to his lightened hormonal load, Oak Hill gets a shorter distance here, cutting back from routes to this turf sprint open to second-level allowance horses or $40,000 claimers. “He hasn’t shown us some super finish going long, so this could help,” said Stall.

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Star of Kodiak won a race at this class level and distance two starts back while racing under the claiming option. Sunday, he starts under his allowance condition, but that does not necessarily mean Star of Kodiak is sitting on a big race.

“He’s doing good but he’s a funny horse, just throws in clunkers sometimes for no rhyme or reason,” said trainer Chris Davis.