Oaklawn Park: Good Morning Diva leads sprinters prepping for King Cotton

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – While Gentlemen’s Bet is away, the rest will play.

A slew of stakes-winning sprinters will be in action Sunday at Oaklawn in a prep for the $100,000 King Cotton, which is the potential spot in which Gentlemen’s Bet, third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, will make his first start of the year.

In his absence, Good Morning Diva, Laurie’s Rocket, and Work All Week figure to vie for favoritism in the $62,500 optional claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs. Good Morning Diva and Laurie’s Rocket were a respective first and third in the Bet On Sunshine at Churchill Downs in November, while Work All Week, a speed horse who drew the rail, seeks his fifth straight win.

Adding further depth to a terrific field is Humble Smarty, a two-time stakes winner last year at 9; Black Bear, a stakes-placed speedster; and Mico Margarita, who back in July was a close-up second in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga.

Good Morning Diva, a 5-year-old horse named for one of the daughters of his owner, George Kerr, is based at Oaklawn with the track’s sprint series on his agenda, according to trainer Rick Hiles. Good Morning Diva will be making his first start since Nov. 27, when he closed from farther back than usual to finish third in the $250,000 Fabulous Strike at Penn National. The race was run on a wet track, which had taken a good amount of rain.

“The track was slick and down the backside [jockey Joe Rocco Jr.] said he was never comfortable, never could get a grip,” Hiles said. “Then he made his run.

“He made his run. The two horses that beat him are legitimate horses, too.”

Ben’s Cat won over fellow multiple stakes winner Ribo Bobo.

Good Morning Diva came into the race off a three-length win in the Bet On Sunshine. It was a gutsy effort for the horse who came through a tight hole along the inside and banged off the rail twice, Hiles said.

“He’s a very strong competitor,” Hiles said.

Luis Quinonez has the mount from post 2.