Oaklawn Park: Veteran Humble Smarty adds blinkers for first time in Nodouble
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Humble Smarty has traveled down a little different path than the average racehorse. He was an orphan, and his best friend growing up was Brett Creighton, his current owner and trainer. Humble Smarty also won his first stakes at the age of 6, and two last year at 9. And when he runs Saturday in the $75,000 Nodouble at Oaklawn Park, Humble Smarty will race in blinkers for the first time since he launched his career in July 2006.
“He’ll be blinkers on, first time ever,” said Creighton.
Humble Smarty, now 10, is the defending race winner in the Nodouble, a six-furlong race for Arkansas-bred 3-year-olds and up. The race, which drew 11, was to have shared a card with the $75,000 Downthedustyroad. But the sprint for Arkansas-bred fillies and mares that lured standout Jan’s Perfect Star did not fill when entries were taken Wednesday.
Humble Smarty was a 4 1/4-length winner of last year’s Nodouble. He enters this year’s renewal following an eighth-place finish in a deep optional $62,500 claimer at Oaklawn on Jan. 19. He’s since worked in blinkers, under regular rider Alex Birzer.
“I put blinkers on him because I felt like he kind of lost interest in the mornings,” Creighton said. “I gallop him myself. It’s just helped him focus. He worked in [blinkers] the other day and went really good. I asked Birzer if he thought he should run in them, and he felt like they did some good.”
Humble Smarty breezed five furlongs in 1:00 in his final prep for the Nodouble, the fastest move of 69 at that distance at Oaklawn on Feb. 23. He will break from post 3 on Saturday, when he will be seeking his 19th career win and sixth career stakes victory.
“He was in tough, really tough, last time,” Creighton said. “I think he’ll show up.”
Goods Gone West, who won last year’s $60,000 Rainbow for statebreds at Oaklawn, will be making his third start off a layoff in the Nodouble. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for James Glover and trainer Kenny Smith.
◗ Hall of Fame rider Pat Day will be the keynote speaker at the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association’s annual banquet March 28. It will be held at The Clarion on the Lake in Hot Springs, Ark., said the organization’s executive director, Deana Echols.
◗ Pegasus Protocol, a 3-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus and Kentucky Oaks winner Pike Place Dancer, will make his career debut in the seventh race, a maiden special weight at a mile. Terry Thompson has the mount for Calumet Farm and trainer D. Wayne Lukas.