Smack Smack one of several quality contenders in Thursday route feature
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The quality of the horse population at Oaklawn is underscored in Thursday’s eighth race, an optional $75,000 claiming route that drew a Breeders’ Cup winner in Regally Ready, a Grade 3 winner in Recount, and a six-time stakes winner in Smack Smack.
The gate for the 1 1/16-mile race for 4-year-olds and up also includes Ecleto Red, the winner of the Prairie Meadows Handicap; The Truth Or Else, who is Grade 1-placed; and For Greater Glory, who has run in five consecutive graded stakes dating back to last April. The race Thursday could produce starters for next month’s Grade 3, $300,000 Razorback Handicap as five members of the eight-horse field ran in Oaklawn’s first route stakes for the division, the Fifth Season.
Smack Smack, by Closing Argument (Last 3 Beyers: 82-94-87)
◗ Trainer Don Von Hemel said Thursday’s race will determine whether Smack Smack targets the Razorback. The horse was an uncharacteristic eighth last out in the Fifth Season, sitting in contention, then ending up 6 1/2 lengths behind the winner, Street Strategy.
“He didn’t quite finish the way I thought he would,” Von Hemel said. “He came out of it good, and he’s doing great. We’ll see how he finishes here and decide on the Razorback.”
◗ Smack Smack, who had used his strong kick to win four of his five starts leading up to the Fifth Season, will break from post 3 under Shane Laviolette. He could get an ideal setup behind Recount, Ecleto Red, and perhaps Regally Ready.
“I look for some speed in there,” Von Hemel said. “I’d like to be laying off of it a little bit, get loose, and make a run down the lane.”
◗ Smack Smack, who races for his breeder, Dream Walkin’ Farms, won the $175,000 Governor’s Cup in August at Remington Park and the $165,480 Zia Park Championship in November.
Regally Ready, by More Than Ready (Last 3 Beyers: 55-97-82)
◗ The winner of the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in 2011, he is moving back to dirt after a series of turf starts. Regally Ready is a multiple stakes winner on the main track, among his wins the Big Bear in 2014 at Santa Anita.
◗ Thursday’s race will be the first start of the year for Regally Ready, who in his last out dueled and finished sixth as the favorite in the $60,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial, going about 1 1/16 miles on turf Dec. 19 at Fair Grounds. For his return, he breezed a half-mile in 51.40 seconds Monday at Oaklawn.
◗ Corey Nakatani has the mount on Regally Ready, an 18-time winner who has earned $1.7 million. Steve Asmussen trains the gelding for Vinery Stables.