Opening-day Advent Stakes brings together intriguing group

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The $150,000 Advent Stakes that heralds the arrival of the Oaklawn Park meet on Friday has the feel of a festive potluck dinner gathering ahead of Christmas.

There’s stakes winners from Indiana, Iowa, and Maryland to choose from in Molly’s Town, General Shipman, and Sweet Soddy J. Market Street is signed on for the 5 1/2-furlong stakes for 2-year-olds after a summer in which he ran second in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special.

Valentine Candy and Bye Bye Liam are both capable for North America’s all-time leading trainer, Steve Asmussen, while the Wesley Ward trainee Spirit’s Mischief has the speed to hold his position from the rail in the field of 12.

“I feel like it’s a really even race,” said Genaro Garcia, who trains Molly’s Town. “I thought it would be a good spot and just decided the last minute to pay for the supplement. I think he’s going to run really well.”

Valentine Candy could go favored off a body of work that includes a debut win at Saratoga for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85. He last raced Oct. 28, finishing third in the Bowman Mill at Keeneland.

“He’s a nice horse, he showed his talent breaking his maiden,” Asmussen said. “We’re very fortunate. I think he has ability that hasn’t come out yet.”

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Ramon Vazquez, the Southern California-based rider who is wintering at Oaklawn, has the mount from post 10.

Bye Bye Liam enters off a maiden special weight win Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs. He was up by a neck in the slop, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 79 he earned is one of the best last-race numbers in the Advent.

“Looking at the race, there’s plenty of speed for him to close into,” said Asmussen, who has given the mount to his son Keith. “He had a very nice victory last time, in a solid maiden race at Churchill.

“It will be very interesting to see how the new surface is playing.”

Oaklawn replaced its base during the offseason in scheduled maintenance done under the direction of specialist Mick Peterson.

“Every couple of decades we pick up the base, the bottom 12 or 18 inches, throw it away and start over,” Oaklawn president Lou Cella said. “Every year we pick up the cushion, and remix and add some silt and clay and sand to our formula, then lay it back down.”

Molly’s Town is 4 for 5 and favored to be named champion 2-year-old Indiana-bred after winning all four of his starts against statebreds. Molly’s Town was fourth last out in the Ed Brown at Churchill.

“He just tried hard,” Garcia said. “He got a little pressure in the race. The whole field was nice horses.”

Emmanuel Esquivel has the mount from post 4.

“He can run on the lead or come from just off the pace,” Garcia said.

Market Street set the pace last out before finishing sixth in a mile allowance at Churchill.

“He’s a real talented horse, he just is getting to the lead, getting headed, and then he doesn’t finish,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “We’re trying different things to get him to finish.

“He’s a dangerous horse in the race.”

Cristian Torres has the mount from post 3.

The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and highs in the 60s.

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