Oaklawn Park: Absinthe Minded comes again to take Pippin

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Absinthe Minded came back against Tiz Miz Sue in the stretch to win the $75,000 Pippin Stakes by a neck Saturday at Oaklawn Park. It was another seven lengths back in third to She’s All In, who was chasing her fifth consecutive win.

Absinthe Minded ($6.40) moved to the lead soon after the start of the Pippin, and led the field through an opening quarter in 24.12 seconds while pushed along by Le Mi Geaux. The eventual winner shook that rival through a half-mile in 48.72, and continued to show the way through six furlongs in 1:13.91.

Tiz Miz Sue, meanwhile, picked up steam around the final turn, shot through an opening along the rail into the stretch, and took the lead from Absinthe Minded. But the latter was diligent, and pushed past Tiz Miz Sue to cover the mile and a sixteenth on a track rated fast in 1:45.27.

“I really think she deserved it,” said D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Absinthe Minded for Briland Farm. “She’s been a real trooper here the last couple of seasons.”

Absinthe Minded won her fourth Oaklawn race from eight starts in the Pippin,. Last meet, she won the $100,000 Bayakoa at Oaklawn and was third in the track’s Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap. Overall, she is 5 for 27.

Terry Thompson rode Absinthe Minded, a 5-year-old mare by Quiet American. It was the jockey’s fourth win in the Pippin behind back-to-back scores with Red N Gold in 2002 and 2003, and La Reason in 2006.

Lukas said next-race plans are to be determined for Absinthe Minded.

* Attendance ontrack Saturday was 11,781.