Strategic Risk runs away from Smarty Jones field, gains 10 Derby points
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Strategic Risk’s first win against open company was a powerful one Saturday at Oaklawn Park, as he pulled away from the $250,000 Smarty Jones field by 4 1/2 lengths to earn 10 points for the Kentucky Derby. His stablemate, Silent Tactic, finished second, while it was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Baytown Dreamer.
Mark Casse trains both Strategic Risk and Silent Tactic for John Oxley.
The Smarty Jones was the first of four Kentucky Derby points races to be held this season at Oaklawn. Sleepingonfreedom was fourth in the race, and Rancho Santa Fe was fifth, to round out the field’s points earners as the top five picked them up on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1.
Strategic Risk ($7) was content to race in second in the early stages Saturday, sitting just off leader Scar Ship through fractions of 24.48 seconds for the opening quarter, 49.92 for the half-mile and 1:14.99 for six furlongs. Strategic Risk moved to the lead in the stretch and went on to cover the 1 1/16 miles run on a fast track in 1:45.06.
“The way he did it today, very impressed,” winning rider Javier Castellano said in an interview conducted by Oaklawn. “It was an open race and I liked to see how he [stacked up against] wide open company.
“He broke good out of the gate. I let him fall in position, get a good spot in the race. It seemed to me the pace was slow. I didn’t see a really fast pace. He had good rhythm and I liked the way he finished up. That’s the most important with a horse.”
Strategic Risk was a nine-length winner of the In Reality division of the Florida Sire Stakes on Nov. 29 at Gulfstream Park. Castellano was aboard for the win. Strategic Risk’s other career victory came in a maiden special weight against Florida-breds in his debut June 7 at Gulfstream.
Strategic Risk is a son of Noble Bird and was bred by Oxley. He picked up a first-place check of $138,750 on Saturday to improve his career mark to three wins from six starts for earnings of $392,300.
Earlier on the card, Bourbon Bash ($22) was a 2 1/2-length winner over Banjo Chris in the $135,000 Commodore overnight stakes at six furlongs. He covered the distance in 1:09.72. Joel Rosario was aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen, the same team that won the $150,000 Renaissance on Saturday’s card with Obliteration. Bourbon Bash races for B C Stable LLC and is a son of City of Light.
Attendance ontrack was an estimated 15,000 on an overcast afternoon in the 50s. Handle on the 11-race card from all sources was $12.4 million, according to figures provided by Oaklawn.
Racing resumes Sunday with an 11-race card topped by the Mockingbird Stakes. It’s the final day of the holiday meet that opened in December. In a new twist, Oaklawn will then break for most of January before resuming racing for the classic meet that starts Jan. 30.
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