Plenty to like about Never Sway in starter allowance

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Never Sway checks a lot of boxes in the featured eighth race Sunday at Oaklawn Park.

She’s the winningest member of the field in the $40,000 starter allowance with four career victories.

She’s proven over the Oaklawn surface as she won in her first local start Feb. 18.

Never Sway also owns the field’s co-highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 74, and goes for one of the meet’s highest percentage trainer-jockey teams in Robertino Diodoro and Cristian Torres.

And if that is not enough to recommend the California-bred, she could prove to be the race’s controlling speed. But even if things don’t shake out her way at the start, she’s also had success from off the pace.

Never Sway is part of a field of eight fillies and mares set to line up for the six-furlong sprint. It highlights a nine-race card that represents the calm before the storm, in a sense, as the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby goes next Saturday.

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Never Sway had been based in her native California through at least December, when she was second in a $10,000 starter allowance at Los Alamitos. She won at that same level in her first start at Oaklawn, where she pressed the pace and darted clear by 3 1/4 lengths. Never Sway covered six furlongs in a sharp 1:10.79 and was flattered when runner-up Dixie Penny came back to win at the same level in her next start, which came at Oaklawn.

Never Sway will start from post 6 for owner Charles Garvey.

De’ Ans Eighty ships in from Fair Grounds, where she ran second in a first-level allowance over 5 1/2 furlongs on Feb. 4. She rallied in the race and now moves back to the six-furlong distance of her three career wins. Rafael Bejarano has the mount for Maggi Moss and trainer Tom Amoss.

Popperina earned a Beyer of 74 last out for a maiden special weight win at Oaklawn. The daughter of California Chrome, who has been bidding from off the pace, will break from post 4.

Public draw for Arkansas Derby

Oaklawn will take entries for the Arkansas Derby on Sunday and as of Friday morning, racing secretary Pat Pope said he had a working list of eight to 10 probable starters. The group includes Rebel winner Timberlake and Southwest winner Mystik Dan.

Pope hopes to card 13 races for Saturday. The undercard will include the Grade 3, $750,000 Fantasy for 3-year-old fillies, the Grade 3, $500,000 Oaklawn Mile, and the $250,000 Matron.

The Arkansas Derby and Fantasy will be drawn before the public in the winner’s circle beginning at 11:10 a.m. Central on Sunday, said Chris Ho, the track’s vice president of marketing. He said the draw also will be streamed live on Oaklawn’s website and YouTube channel.

◗ Oaklawn will card the $175,000 Eclipse, a new overnight stakes for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs, on April 7, Pope said. The race is restricted to nonwinners of a stakes in 2023 or 2024. Nominations close March 29.

◗ Pope said purses for Arkansas Derby Day could reach a record $4 million. The maiden special weight and allowance purses are being bumped up to a respective $120,000 and $150,000 for Saturday’s card.

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