The Sound tries two turns off big Beyer win

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Sound made some serious noise as a 3-year-old last November, when he popped a lofty Beyer Speed Figure. He will be making his first start since the big performance in Friday’s featured eighth race at Oaklawn Park.

The allowance is for 4-year-olds and up who have never won three races. It will be run over 1 1/16 miles. The field of nine includes Make Noise, who has had success at Oaklawn, and Dean Martini, winner of last year’s Grade 3 Ohio Derby.

The Sound enters off a 4 3/4-length win in a first-level allowance at Aqueduct. The Nov. 29 start came in a one-turn mile, and he led throughout while covering the distance in 1:36.14. The Sound earned a career-high Beyer of 104. It was his first start against winners, following a maiden special weight score over seven furlongs in October at Belmont Park.

“We’re hoping he’ll carry his speed around two turns,” said Brad Cox, who trains The Sound for Shortleaf Stable. “He was able to stretch out some last time. Obviously, it wasn’t two turns. He got a big figure, and we wanted to give him plenty of time to recover from it. He’s been training very well. I think the work tab shows that he’s been forward enough.”

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

The Sound’s final prep for Friday was a half-mile breeze in 47.60 seconds. The move came last Saturday at Oaklawn, and it was the fastest of 111 at the distance that morning in Hot Springs.

Shortleaf Stable purchased The Sound as a yearling for $300,000 at Keeneland September in 2018.

“He’s a good-looking horse,” Cox said.

The Sound is a 4-year-old by Hard Spun. He shares the same sire as Caddo River, winner of last Friday’s Smarty Jones for Shortleaf Stable, Cox, and jockey Florent Geroux, who on Friday will be aboard The Sound from post 6.

The Sound’s pedigree suggests he should be effective routing. His sire was second in both the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic. In addition, The Sound is a full brother to Smooth Roller, a Grade 1 winner at 1 1/8 miles in the 2015 edition of the Awesome Again at Santa Anita. For the race, Smooth Roller earned a Beyer of 111.

The second-best last-race Beyer in Friday’s field belongs to Dean Martini, who earned an 85 for a runner-up finish in a two-other-than allowance Dec. 31 at Fair Grounds. The race came over six furlongs, and he is now moving back to two turns, the configuration of his Ohio Derby win last June at Thistledown. David Cohen has the mount from post 4 for trainer Tom Amoss.

The card Friday includes another allowance, which drew Excession, runner-up to Nadal in last year’s Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn. He’s part of a field of nine in the seventh race, a first-level allowance for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles. Totally Jimbo and Beaver Hat were both second at this level last out and figure to get good support Friday.