Preakness berth on the line in Bathhouse Row
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Instant Replay and Caldera will both be looking to become stakes winners Saturday in the $200,000 Bathhouse Row at Oaklawn Park after placing in separate prep races for the Kentucky Derby.
The horses are chief contenders in the Bathhouse Row, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds that rewards its winner with a berth in the Preakness Stakes. The field of seven includes Tiz Secure, who invades from Southern California for trainer Bob Baffert.
The Bathhouse Row is the first of three stakes on a 12-race card that’s led by the Grade 2, $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap.
Instant Replay should go favored in the Bathhouse Row off a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 22 at Fair Grounds. He will be shortening up some in distance from 1 3 1/16 miles and owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 91.
“He ran well in the Louisiana Derby, finished up strong,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I think this is a good spot for him. I think the distance will suit him.”
Flavien Prat has the mount on Instant Replay from post 7.
“I do think he’s a little better when he can break and settle in a race and finish up, come with a run,” Cox said. “So we’ll see. We’re drawn outside. I’m not certain there’s a tremendous amount of speed in there, but we’ll just let him kind of break and find his way and hopefully he finishes up well.”
Instant Replay is a son of Maximum Security who races for his breeders, Gary and Mary West.
Caldera was a dominant maiden special weight winner in January at Oaklawn before going on to finish second by a nose in the Sunland Park Derby. He’s raced once since, finishing an uncharacteristic eighth in the Louisiana Derby.
“He stumbled real badly, caught his quarter,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “He’s coming back good, but it took a little bit to clean up that foot.”
For the Sunland Derby, Caldera earned a Beyer of 91. He is a January foal by Liam’s Map and is owned by MyRacehorse.
“He’s a rugged horse that’s got some talent, and I think if we manage him a little bit we’ll have a pretty good season,” said Lukas, who has given the mount to Rafael Bejarano.
Tiz Secure is a son of Maximum Security and the multiple Grade 1-winning mare Tough Tiz’s Sis. He enters off some sharp works at Santa Anita. Edwin Maldonado has the mount from post 4.
The field also includes Oaklawn maiden winners First Division and Hymn.
Valley of the Vapors
Miss Martini is part of a competitive field of eight in the $200,000 Valley of the Vapors for 3-year-old fillies at a mile. She is making her two-turn debut off a closing win in the $145,000 Southern Hospitality overnight stakes on March 30 at Oaklawn.
“That was very professional,” trainer Steve Asmussen said of the effort from Miss Martini. “I think it’s time to stretch her out.”
Keith Asmussen has the mount on the daughter of Curlin from post 7. She races for Jackpot Farm.
Others set to start include Anonima, who was third in the Virginia Oaks; Quantum Burst, a nine-length allowance winner at Colonial; and Jenkin, winner of the Year’s End at Oaklawn.
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