Pats Property finds himself in unusual position of favorite
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Pats Property has outrun longshot odds on multiple occasions, but on Sunday could go favored in the eighth race at Oaklawn Park. The first-level allowance is for 4-year-olds and up at a mile.
Pats Property finished a close second at this level at 24-1 on April 2.
“We’re hoping he runs the same race back,” said co-owner and trainer John Haran. “I think he’ll be tough if he does.”
Pats Property led to the late stages in the 1 1/16-mile race and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85. He shares the highest last-race number in the field with Ten Gauge.
Others making up the nine-horse field include Outlier, who will vie for favoritism after finishing second by a nose at this level and distance last out at Oaklawn, and Megan’s Honor, a six-time winner. Bandit Point, a top Arkansas-bred who has placed in seven stakes, and Lansdowne, a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Midnight Lucky, add to the competitive nature of the field Sunday.
Pats Property’s last win came at a mile at Oaklawn in December 2021 at 45-1. Last June at Churchill Downs, in his final start of 2022, he was fourth at 32-1 in a one-turn mile captured by Elite Power, who by year’s end would win the Eclipse Award for champion male sprinter of 2022.
“He was in tough company that day, but he showed up,” Haran said. “He always shows up.”
Pats Property will start from post 5 under Walter De La Cruz.
“He’ll be close to the pace,” Haran said. “That’s where he likes to run.”
Haran has 17 horses based at Oaklawn and also has divisions at Hawthorne Race Course and Horseshoe Indianapolis. The 61-year-old native of Ireland began training on his own in 2011.
“I was in construction for years,” he said. “I bought one horse. The next thing you know I had two horses, then 10, 20. I’ve been coming to Oaklawn for 20 years. Frank Kirby used to train for me back in the day. He used to come down every winter, so I just continued coming myself when I started training my own stable.”
Haran said he grew up with horses in Ireland and also worked with them prior to setting up his own stable at the track. His first win came at Arlington Park.
“I had a farm in Kentucky, Eagle Valley, and we used to break a lot of horses at the farm ourselves, send them to trainers,” he said.
Pats Property was a private purchase. Haran owns the son of Carpe Diem with Clabar Mor Stables.
Megan’s Honor will break from post 4. Last out, on April 1, he broke from post 10 and finished eighth in a mile race at this level, one start after finishing third by a half-length in a similar race.
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