Promising Arkansas-breds meet in Rainbow Stakes
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Midnight Taxes and King Peanut rank among the most impressive Arkansas-bred maiden winners of the Oaklawn Park meet and on Saturday the pair will meet for the first time in the $150,000 Rainbow.
The six-furlong race is for 3-year-olds bred in Arkansas. It shares a card with its counterpart for fillies, the $150,000 Rainbow Miss.
Midnight Taxes was a four-length winner of a maiden special weight over older rivals Feb. 25, while King Peanut won his debut by seven lengths in a maiden for 2-year-olds in December.
“Once we broke our maidens here, we’re both thinking the same thing, ‘Let’s get to the Rainbow,’ ” said Dan Peitz, who trains King Peanut.
Midnight Taxes started in his career in Southern California and came to trainer Chris Hartman at Oaklawn ahead of the maiden win for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 78.
“That’s why he shipped to Hot Springs, for this spot,” Hartman said. “He was able to break his maiden, and this was his natural next spot.”
The Rainbow has drawn eight, including another impressive maiden winner in Chupapi Munyayo, who romped by 10 lengths on Feb. 17 at Oaklawn. Bohemian Bo moves into the Arkansas-bred ranks after winning his maiden at Sam Houston Race Park, while Huey Duey makes his career debut for a stakes-winning mare, With a Twist, who overall won 10 races and earned $287,183. Stuck N Snow is out of All About Allie, a multiple stakes winner of more than $300,000.
Midnight Taxes has made one start since his maiden win, and finished second in an entry-level allowance against Arkansas-breds last month. He equaled his best Beyer, a 78.
“He ran with the older horses,” Hartman said. “He ran a good race, just outgamed that day by an older horse. Hopefully, he’ll like being back with his 3-year-old friends.”
Midnight Taxes, a son of Midnight Lute and a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Amalfi Coast, will break from post 5 under Nik Juarez.
King Peanut starts from post 2 under Francisco Arrieta.
“Hartman’s horse has speed and there are other horses that have got a little speed,” Peitz said. “I’m kind of expecting us to settle a little bit and hopefully he makes a run, like he did in his maiden race.”
King Peanut closed with a flourish that day and earned a Beyer of 70.
“He was relaxed and just kind of steadily started picking them up,” Peitz said. “Arrieta asked him to kind of finish up at the end. I wasn’t shocked that he won – I was surprised he just drew off like he did, won as easy as he did.”
King Peanut has made one start since, and finished third, beaten two lengths, in a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up on Feb. 26 at Oaklawn.
“Obviously, we would have preferred to run against straight 3-year-olds,” Peitz said.
King Peanut also raced on a wet track for the first time that afternoon.
“It was muddy and I don’t know how happy he was running on the muddy racetrack, so I give him little excuse there,” Peitz said.
◗ Oaklawn leading owner Jerry Caroom will be represented by homebred Mozingo in the 12-horse Rainbow Miss. She was an entry-level allowance winner over older rivals last month at Oaklawn. Cristian Torres has the mount for trainer Tom Amoss.
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