Oaklawn Park: Don't Tell Sophia starts familiar path in Pippin

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Don’t Tell Sophia swept into Oaklawn Park a year ago and quickly established herself as one of the best mares on the grounds by virtue of daylight wins in the Pippin and Bayakoa, and a third-place finish in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom. She’s back in town for the new meet, and on Saturday will be a strong favorite to defend her Pippin title against five others in the 1 1/16-mile race that also drew millionaire Dixie Strike.

Don’t Tell Sophia’s endgame this meet is again the Apple Blossom. She was freshened following that race a year ago with the idea of targeting this year’s filly and mare series at Oaklawn. Don’t Tell Sophia, now 6, returned to action this past fall, and won the Grade 2 Chilukki at Churchill Downs in her second start back Nov. 2.

“She ran a bang-up race,” said trainer Phil Sims, who co-owns Don’t Tell Sophia with Jerry Namy. “She just ran a game race. When she was called on, she did her thing.”

Don’t Tell Sophia won by 2 1/4 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 100 that made her the favorite in the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill in her last start, Nov. 28. She rallied for second and has since worked sharply at both Keeneland, where Sims also has a division, and her current base of Oaklawn.

“The last race the pace was slow,” Sims said, “and she got beat by a pretty nice filly, of course, in Wine Princess. She beat Wine Princess in the Chilukki, but the pace was a little slower last time and she made her run, but just couldn’t get to Wine Princess.”

Sims said he hopes for more pace on Saturday, when Don’t Tell Sophia breaks from post 3 under jockey Channing Hill.

Dixie Strike will make a rare start on dirt in the Pippin after racing on Polytrack at Woodbine. In her last start, she was second in the track’s Grade 3 Maple Leaf on Nov. 2.

“It is a rare dirt start, but she’s performed on dirt and we’ve wanted to get more dirt starts in her,” said trainer Mark Casse. “She won the Prince of Wales against colts [on dirt] earlier in her career, and has trained really well [on dirt] at Palm Meadows.”

Dixie Strike is now based at Oaklawn, with a long range goal the Apple Blossom, said Casse.

◗ Titletown Five, who races for a partnership that includes Green Bay Packers heroes Paul Hornung and Willie Davis, will make his 4-year-old debut in the nightcap, a first-level allowance at six furlongs.

Coastline to Smarty Jones

Casse said Coastline, the winner of the $61,000 Street Sense at Churchill in October, will make his 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Smarty Jones here Monday. He is the probable favorite in a projected field of eight or nine, and will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan.