Ours to Run relishes wet track in Carousel
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Ours to Run won her fifth consecutive stakes race Saturday, when she darted to a 3 3/4-length win over Mia Mischief in the $150,000 Carousel at Oaklawn Park. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Shanghai Tariff in third.
Amy’s Challenge, who had been entered in the Carousel, was scratched to run in the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland. She finished second in that race, also run Saturday.
The Carousel, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares, was run on a sloppy, sealed track with light rain falling. The attendance ontrack Saturday was 16,000.
:: Shop for PPs, picks, DRF+ and more in our store!
Ours to Run ($8.80) had won four straight races going into the Carousel, all stakes wins against Louisiana-breds in a streak that began in May at Evangeline Downs. She moved into open company for the Carousel and was content to sit a few lengths off Salt Bae, who ran the opening quarter in 21.94 seconds while under pressure from Shanghai Tariff.
Ours to Run advanced four wide around the final turn, came into the stretch three wide after a half-mile in 45.12 seconds, then pulled clear to cover the distance in 1:10.84. Terry Thompson was aboard for trainer Larry Jones, who said a gap in Louisiana-bred stakes offerings led to the start in the Carousel.
“We had a little space and she was doing good and it was time to try,” Jones said.
“She loves the off track.”
Ours to Run is now 4 for 5 on wet tracks, with three of those wins coming in stakes. Overall she has won 11 of 19 starts and earned $427,988. Ours to Run is a 5-year-old by Half Ours and she races for Colonel Thoroughbreds.
Ours to Run came into the Carousel off a length win in the $100,000 Louisiana Premier Night Matron on Feb. 9 at Delta Downs and with the victory at Oaklawn became the fifth next-out winner to emerge from the Matron.
