Royal Daaher has helpful post for Thursday allowance

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Royal Daaher has drawn the kind of post that could help him clear an allowance condition Thursday at Oaklawn Park.

He will start from post 6 in a field of eight in the featured eighth race, which is for 3-year-olds and up who have never won three races. The purse is $106,000. Royal Daaher has previously drawn inside posts for his three starts this meet at Oaklawn.

“I like to see him close to the pace, but sometimes he gets a little too close to the pace, gets a little too aggressive on the inside, down inside of horses,” said Jimmy DiVito, who trains Royal Daaher. “He’s on the outside. If he can stay on the outside and kind of stalk, that would be the best scenario.”

There appears to be significant speed tucked to Royal Daaher’s inside. Plane Talk starts from the rail one race after setting quick fractions in a conditioned allowance sprint Feb. 6 at Oaklawn, while War Detonator, who is in post 2, comes off a wire job in a $30,000 conditioned claiming sprint March 14 at Oaklawn.

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Royal Daaher closed out his season last year with a first-level allowance win Nov. 20 at Churchill Downs. He started the Oaklawn meet with a runner-up finish to Hidden Scroll at this same condition Jan. 24. Royal Daaher then was third by a half-length behind Special Reserve and the multiple Grade 1-placed Shoplifted in a Feb. 6 allowance. He earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 91 in a performance that made him a top choice in his next start, another Oaklawn allowance, in which he finished fifth March 13.

“Last time he ran, I thought he’d win,” DiVito said. “I was a little disappointed in the race. He kind of flattened out through the stretch. I really don’t know why. It seemed like he was in a good position all the way around the racetrack. He didn’t get beat far. He just kind of flattened out a little bit.”

Royal Daaher is a 5-year-old horse by Daaher who has won 2 of 12 starts for earnings of $145,490. His dam, Royal Taat, was Grade 3-placed and overall won four races. Royal Daaher races for his breeder, Doubledown Stables.

“He’s really been a late-developing horse – he was a late foal,” DiVito said. “He’s a good-looking, strong horse. It took him a little while to get completely developed. He didn’t get a lot of starts. He’s getting better, and I expect him to get better.”

David Cabrera has the mount Thursday.

Lykan is cutting back to one turn after racing around two last out when fifth in a conditioned allowance at a mile March 6 at Oaklawn. He was a winner at this six-furlong distance last meet. Martin Garcia has the mount for trainer Ingrid Mason, who co-owns the son of Congrats with Muddy Waters Stables.