Shippers clash in 3-year-old sprint

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Alder will start for Rebel-winning connections on Friday, when he ships in from Louisiana for the featured ninth race at Oaklawn Park.

The first-level allowance is for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. It has the potential to produce starters for some upcoming stakes in the division – the $200,000 Bachelor at the same distance April 27 or the $200,000 Hot Springs at a mile on March 23.

Alder is trained by Brad Cox and will be ridden by Cristian Torres, the same team that captured last weekend’s Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel at Oaklawn with Timberlake.

Alder is one of two leading contenders coming in from Louisiana, alongside Cats by Five. The horses will be among the top choices in the field of 10.

Alder was second by a neck in an entry-level allowance sprint Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds. The six-furlong race went in 1:09.86 in the slop. For the effort, Alder earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

“He ran a big race in New Orleans last time,” Cox said. “He comes out of what we think was a fast race and we hope he moves forward again.”

Alder is a son of Hard Spun who races for his breeder, Godolphin. He is from the female family of Grade 1-winning sprinter Wildcat Heir.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

Alder will break from post 2.

“He can sit off a few, kind of range up,” Cox said. “We’ll see.”

Cats by Five owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, an 83 for his runner-up finish in a first-level allowance Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds. Doncho, who won the race, has opened his career with two wins.

Cats by Five, a son of Audible, is a half-brother to Bob’s Edge, who won both the King Cotton and Grade 3 Whitmore in 2022.

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount from post 6 for trainer Steve Asmussen and Three Chimneys Farm.

Asmussen also saddles Risk It, who comes off a fifth-place finish in the Swale on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park. Earlier in his career, Risk It was second in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs. He will be first-time Lasix.

Andy’s Candy is stakes-placed at the current meet, having run third to Valentine Candy in the $150,000 Advent on Dec. 9. In his most recent start, Andy’s Candy rallied for fourth at this level and distance when cutting back from a mile on Feb. 11.

Rafael Bejarano has the mount for trainer Chris Hartman.

:: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!

Hartman also saddles Henro, who is facing winners for the first time after taking a maiden special weight at six furlongs Feb. 16. The effort came in Henro’s second career start. In his debut last November at Churchill Downs, he was sixth to Mystik Dan, eventual winner of the Grade 3, $800,000 Southwest Stakes.

Henro is a half-brother to Grade 1-winning millionaire Street Band.

Googol Joke is back in the overnight ranks after consecutive stakes starts at Oaklawn. He was third in the $150,000 Renaissance on Dec. 31 and fifth in the $150,000 Ozark on Feb. 10. Both races were won by Valentine Candy.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.