Oaklawn Park: Southwest runners head south to beat the weather

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A quartet of Oaklawn Park-based 3-year-olds targeting Monday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest have temporarily moved to the Evangeline Downs Training Center near Lafayette, La., to outrun the winter weather that forced the cancellation of last week’s live racing and stripped horsemen of four days of training.

Louies Flower, winner of the $250,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park in December, and Tanzanite Cat, who captured last month’s $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, were among those who traveled to keep on their training schedules for the Southwest. Son of Dixie, stablemate of Louies Flower, and Paganol, stablemate of Tanzanite Cat, also made the ship. The horses are to return later this week at a date to be determined, according to their trainers, Cody Autrey and Bret Calhoun.

“I’m going to watch the weather, but will likely ship back Friday,” said Autrey, who trains Tanzanite Cat and Paganol.

Calhoun said Louies Flower and Son of Dixie could return Saturday.

Louies Flower has had success with this kind of plan in the past. Leading up to the Springboard Mile, winter weather disrupted training at Remington in Oklahoma City and the horse was sent to the Evangeline Downs Training Center to keep him from being too fresh for his two-turn debut. Louies Flower returned to Oklahoma City to win his third straight race in the Dec. 15 Springboard, his most recent start. Louies Flower has trained well for his 3-year-old debut, Calhoun said.

“Everything’s gone great other than the weather,” Calhoun said. “I think mentally he’s matured quite a bit. I think his works in the morning, he’s relaxing much better and listening to [jockey] Luis” Quinonez’s commands.

Louies Flower, the subject of more than one offer following the Springboard, was not sold because the offers were for the whole horse, Calhoun said, and original owner Wes Melcher wanted to keep at least a partial stake in the promising son of Flower Alley.

Son of Dixie, who races for Terra Di Sienna Stables, will enter the Southwest off a third-place finish as the favorite in a local allowance Jan. 10. He was prominent to the late stages in that race, one start after running third in an optional $75,000 claiming race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 30.

“He ran opening day at Oaklawn, it poured, and he drew inside on a deep, sloppy track,” Calhoun said.

Nakatani on Tanzanite Cat

Tanzanite Cat and Paganol, both owned by James and Ywachetta Driver, were scheduled to breeze midweek in Louisiana, with Oaklawn leading rider Norberto Arroyo Jr., to travel there for the drills, Autrey said. Arroyo has the mount on Paganol, while Corey Nakatani will ride Tanzanite Cat, according to Autrey.

The Evangeline Downs Training Center is familiar territory for Tanzanite Cat and Paganol.

“Both have been there,” Autrey said. “They spent almost three months down there” before Oaklawn.

Paganol will enter the Southwest off a last-to-first win in a maiden special weight in his debut Jan. 11 at Oaklawn. He will make his first start at two turns Monday.

“We think that’s what he’s been wanting to do the whole time,” Autrey said. “We didn’t remotely think he wanted to sprint, but the only [route] race for 3-year-olds at the time was a mile and a sixteenth, and we weren’t interested in that first out.”

The Southwest field had a working list of 12 horses earlier in the week, among them Strong Mandate, the Grade 1 Hopeful winner to be ridden by Joel Rosario, and Tapiture, who captured the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill in his most recent out Nov. 30. Walt, runner-up in the Smarty Jones, is under consideration for the race, but also could go in the $120,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland, trainer Chris Hartman said.

Entries for the 1 1/16-mile Southwest are taken Friday. The race offers a total of 17 points on the Kentucky Derby preference system administered by Churchill Downs.

Oaklawn has scheduled four stakes for its extended holiday week of racing that begins Thursday. The stakes action starts Saturday with the rescheduled $100,000 King Cotton, which was canceled last Saturday due to the weather, and the $100,000 Essex, which is expected to draw Taptowne, as well as Drogue and Cyber Secret. The Sunday card is led by the $100,000 Bayakoa that should lure Don’t Tell Sophia and Sisterly Love.

Door open for Gentlemen’s Bet

Trainer Ron Moquett left the door open for Gentlemen’s Bet, third-place finisher in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, to start in Saturday’s King Cotton. He did not enter the horse last week because of the winter weather.

“There’s a slight chance of Gentlemen’s Bet,” Moquett said Monday. “It depends on what training is from here to there. I’d say if we don’t get on the track the next two days, we’re going to pass.”

The later date of the King Cotton could lead to some new faces. Bull Dozer, a recent allowance winner, is now possible for the race, trainer Bret Calhoun said. Apprehender, the defending champ, also will now be considered, trainer Chris Richard said.