Smart Ashley faces winners for first time Thursday
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Smart Ashley will be facing winners for the first time Thursday, but she should vie for favoritism in the first-level allowance for fillies and mares that headlines a nine-race program at Oaklawn.
Other leading contenders in the 1 1/16-mile feature include Battle Tale, Book Club, and Elemonate, all multiple winners, and Valseuse, who has seen graded stakes company at Keeneland and Gulfstream Park.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Smart Ashley (Last 3 Beyers: 79-61-74)
◗ She moved back to dirt for her most recent start after racing on turf and popped a career-high Beyer Speed Figure for her win in a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28. The number is the best last-race Beyer in the field Thursday.
◗ Smart Ashley’s maiden win came at a demanding distance, a one-turn mile, and she raced with the pace throughout. She now moves back to two turns, and she’s placed at the trip multiple times.
◗ Smart Ashley worked a bullet half-mile in 48.20 seconds in her final prep for her 4-year-old debut. The move was the fastest of 48 at the distance at Oaklawn last Friday.
◗ Joe Rocco Jr. has the mount on Smart Ashley for Alex G. Campbell Jr. Thoroughbreds and trainer Rusty Arnold.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Smart Ashley. Trainer Rusty Arnold is 5-2-0-1 with a $5.56 ROI over the past two years in dirt routes following a maiden win and a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Battle Tale (Last 3 Beyers: 69-66-62)
◗ She’s a two-time winner facing some less-experienced rivals.
◗ Battle Tale is one of two horses in the field with a win at Oaklawn, the other being Annuity. Battle Tale’s local score came at 1 1/16 miles in a maiden special weight race last February.
◗ Battle Tale was fourth in a first-level allowance in her first start in about seven weeks Jan. 22 and could move forward Thursday. Luis Quinonez has the mount from the rail for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
Book Club (Last 3 Beyers: 75-61-63)
◗ She won a one-turn, one-mile race at Churchill in her most recent start Nov. 7, when she rallied for a 2 1/4-length win. It was her third victory, making her the winningest member of the field Thursday.
◗ Owner-trainer Phil Sims claimed Book Club out of her last start for $15,000.
◗ Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount from post 3.
Valseuse (Last 3 Beyers: 47-63-64)
◗ She has run in two graded stakes, with her best effort a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride last March at Gulfstream. The winner, Room Service, has since won a pair of Grade 1 races.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Annuity. Trainer Ron Moquett 31-5-2-4 with a $0.98 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route on dirt in the second start after a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan