Oaklawn: Gleaming takes Spring Fever for second sprint stakes of meet

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Gleaming picked off the second stakes in Oaklawn Park’s series for female sprinters on Sunday, when she shuttled past the entry of Bent Missile and Awesome Symmetry in the stretch and went on to a one-length win in the $60,000 Spring Fever.

Earlier in the meet, Gleaming accounted for the first race in the series, the $50,000 American Beauty. The third and final leg, the $75,000 Carousel on April 12, will likely be the next start for Gleaming, said her trainer, Bret Calhoun.

“We’ll probably wait for the race,” he said. “That will give her a little space between races.”

Gleaming ($3.60) raced in fifth early in the Spring Fever, as Bent Missile set fractions of 22.28 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.02 for the half-mile. Awesome Symmetry chased her stablemate throughout, while Gleaming began to pick up steam on the turn. The eventual winner rolled past the leaders in the final furlong, and covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.96.

Cliff Berry rode Gleaming, who races for the partnership of Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch.

Bent Missile held second, a half-length in front of third-place finisher Awesome Symmetry.

The Spring Fever was the third career stakes win for Gleaming, a 5-year-old by Dehere. She has now won 8 of 15 starts and $278,566.

Attendance ontrack was 11,093.