Oaklawn Park: Ride On Curlin wins allowance in 2014 debut

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Ride On Curlin, one of the most accomplished 3-year-olds stabled at Oaklawn Park, won his 2014 debut in Sunday’s sixth race and is now being pointed for the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17, according to trainer William Gowan. The race is Oaklawn’s first major prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.

Ride On Curlin, who last year ran third to Havana in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park, on Sunday was making his first start since Oct. 27. He broke sharply in a first-level allowance at six furlongs and tracked the pace set by Compendium, Legend Forever, and Stewie Little.

Ride On Curlin ($4.40) launched a four-wide bid on the turn for home, overtook the leaders with ease, then comfortably kept Smiling Charlie at bay for a 2 1/2-length win. Ride On Curlin covered the distance on a track rated “good” in 1:13.77 under jockey Calvin Borel.

“I told Calvin to get away from there quickly, lay where [the horse] wants to,” Gowan said.

Ride On Curlin came into Sunday’s race off a third-place finish in the $61,000 Street Sense at Churchill Downs on Oct. 27. He was found to have a lung infection following that start and was given some downtime, Gowan said. Ride On Curlin is a son of Curlin racing for Daniel Dougherty.

Also pointing for the Southwest is Strong Mandate, the Grade 1 Hopeful winner, who breezed five furlongs in 1:04.20 on Sunday at Oaklawn. The meet’s first route stakes for 3-year-olds, the $150,000 Smarty Jones, will be run Monday, Jan. 20.