Smarty Jones Stakes draws seven for opening day at Oaklawn

The Oaklawn Park meet will open Friday with a field of seven horses chasing after Kentucky Derby points in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes.

The field for the Smarty Jones from the rail, with riders, is Martini Blu, Francisco Arrieta; Lawlessness, David Cohen; Cowan, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Big Thorn, David Cabrera; Hardly Swayed, Martin Garcia; Moonlite Strike, Joe Talamo; and Caddo River, Florent Geroux.

The Smarty Jones is the first of four Kentucky Derby points races this meet at Oaklawn. All will be run Lasix-free for the first time. The Smarty Jones, at a mile, will reward its first four finishers with points on a scale of 10-4-2-1.

Entries for the card were taken Friday. Oaklawn drew 100 horses, including six also-eligibles, for the nine-race opener.

The card includes entries from a large cross-section of trainers, including Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Phil D’Amato, Jerry Hollendorfer, Saffie Joseph Jr., Mike Maker, and Peter Miller.

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“The handicapping angle is going to be great because you’re getting horses from all over,” said Pat Pope, Oaklawn’s racing secretary. “It makes it quite exciting with the entries.

“It’s a strong opening.”

Pope said there is a three-other-than allowance sprint that came up strong, while there also are two maiden special weight races for 3-year-olds on the program.

Pope said Oaklawn is featuring two pick-five wagers per day this meet. The first one starts with the first race, and the second one will always be on the last five races on the card. In the past, there has been just one pick five at Oaklawn.

Oaklawn has made some changes to entry procedures in light of the ongoing pandemic. Pope said all entries will be by phone only and that the post-position draws would be conducted via Zoom. The reason behind the changes is to reduce traffic in the racing office, which for the second meet in a row is being conducted in an alternate, compact area due to construction projects.

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“Day 1 went well,” Pope said of entries. “Fifty-six more to go.”

Oaklawn’s 57-date meet runs through May 1.

Oaklawn is drawing entries seven days in advance for most cards, except for a Wednesday draw for Sundays.