Southern Phantom adds color to Friday maiden race

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – He’s the face that launched a thousand tweets.

Well, a whole lot more than that.

Southern Phantom, who makes his first start at 4 on Friday at Oaklawn, is a social media sensation for his looks. He’s a bald-faced, blue-eyed colt with chrome wrapped around all fours legs – splashing up past his knees and hocks and onto his belly.

This is fun stuff, people!

But things get serious in the ninth, a maiden special weight at a mile and a sixteenth. Southern Phantom breaks from the rail for new owner Danny Caldwell, who purchased the bay son of 2012 Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister for $20,000 at auction in November at Keeneland.

Southern Phantom, now trained by Federico Villafranco, has long been penciled in for a return at Oaklawn. In his last start, Southern Phantom was third in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

“He’s been off a year and is going to need a race or two to give his best performance,” Caldwell said. “Hopefully, he tries hard, gets a good race under his belt.”

Caldwell noted the local maiden races are some of the toughest in the country. Southern Phantom faces 10, including Copper King, a half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

Southern Phantom’s seven starts have been documented wall-to-wall on social media. But in a strange twist, the coronavirus is dictating the grandstand be spectator-free Friday.

“It might help him,” Caldwell said. “He’s used to looking for who’s got a camera. There won’t be one, unfortunately. Hopefully, it will keep him focused on the race. He loves the camera and he knows what a camera is. He’s always looking for it, hoping to get a carrot or treat. He’s got a great personality.

“He will definitely miss the crowd, there’s no doubt about that.”

Caldwell said Tyler Baze will ride Southern Phantom.

Jareth Loveberry, who has been working Southern Phantom, was named on him but was injured Tuesday. Loveberry is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks with a crack in his pelvis, according to his agent, Brian Assmann.

Assmann said doctors diagnosed the injury as non-displaced, and as such Loveberry will not need surgery.

The rider was injured when a horse he was getting on flipped. Loveberry ranks 10th in the standings at Oaklawn.