Oaklawn Park: King Cotton pits stablemates Alsvid, Black Bear against each other

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There will be a race within a race Saturday at Oaklawn in the $100,000 King Cotton. Alsvid and his entrymate, Black Bear, will meet for the first time, while also taking on five others, including Southern California shipper Anillo, Grade 3 winner Mico Margarita, and multiple stakes winner Picko’s Pride.

The King Cotton, for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs, opens Oaklawn’s sprint series that culminates with the Grade 3, $300,000 Count Fleet on April 10.

Alsvid and Black Bear race for the Black Hawk Stable operation of James and Jo Brenda Rogers. The horses have established themselves as two of the quickest sprinters in the region, with Alsvid having won six stakes and the stakes-placed Black Bear sporting a career record of 6 for 10.

“Jim and Jo Brenda always wondered who was the fastest one,” said trainer Chris Hartman, “and this is the race Jim always wanted to win. It’s on his bucket list. If there was ever a time to find out who is the fastest, now is the time. There’s no better time to give them a twirl.”
It will be a pure first match-up, as Hartman said the horses have never worked together.

“We always thought Alsvid was quicker than the other horse,” Hartman said. “It’s just a guess.”

Alsvid will be cutting back to one turn after finishing an uncharacteristic sixth last out in the $150,000 Delta Downs Mile that Grand Contender won in track-record time Nov. 23. Hartman said he felt the horse did not handle the surface in the race at Delta.

“I think the ground he was coming off at Remington Park was so much tighter,” said Hartman. “We threw that race out and went back to the drawing board.”

The Alsvid of late looks like the Alsvid who put up a Beyer Speed Figure of 109 for an allowance win last July. In one of his final preps for Saturday’s race on Jan. 18, he breezed five furlongs by himself in a blazing 58.40 seconds, territory rarely seen over the sandy track at Oaklawn.

“He literally flew around the racetrack,” Hartman said. “It was a monster work.”

Ken Tohill, who was aboard, has the mount from post 4.

Black Bear will break from post 6, under Cliff Berry. He comes off a runner-up finish in an allowance prep for the King Cotton on Jan. 19.

“The horse that won, Work All Week, is quite the racehorse,” Hartman said of the runner who was winning for the fifth straight time. “He and Black Bear tangled early, and he got the best of him. I’m sort of glad to see him not show up in this race.”

Hartman looks for Black Bear to be either on the lead or pushing the pace Saturday, with Alsvid tracking the leaders.