Oaklawn Park: Tricky week for Strong Mandate

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Strong Mandate has had a couple of eventful mornings this week at Oaklawn Park but remains on course for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 12 despite a less-than-ideal workout Wednesday.

Strong Mandate breezed a half-mile in 54 seconds soon after the track opened, then lost his exercise rider, Alberto Rodriguez, galloping out after the wire. Strong Mandate was caught by an outrider without incident and came back fine, as did Rodriguez, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said later in the morning.

“That could have been a serious thing, but it turned out okay,” Lukas said Wednesday.

The drill came a day after Strong Mandate had to abort a work soon after it began due to an oncoming horse running off with his rider. Strong Mandate on Wednesday breezed under stout restraint while working a few paths off the fence and coasting to the wire. It was a maintenance move, as Lukas said he did not want to tax Strong Mandate following a demanding race in the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel on March 15.

“The work didn’t turn out like we’d hoped it would, but we’re far enough out that we can adjust that,” Lukas said. “I might have over-coached my [rider] a little bit, too. [Strong Mandate’s] lightened up a little from that last race, and I didn’t want too much, and I might have over-coached [Rodriguez]. It wasn’t as smooth as I’d hoped, but we got a work in him, and we’ll come back the first of the week.”

Strong Mandate is one of the top 3-year-olds based at Oaklawn, having won last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga for owners Robert Baker and William Mack. Strong Mandate opened his 3-year-old season with a second-place finish in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest at Oaklawn, then ran fourth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the Rebel to earn a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96. He is listed at 20-1 on the morning line for the fourth installment of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opened Thursday.