Streaking Tempt Fate stretches out in Arkansas Breeders' Championship

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Tempt Fate will have to beat Man in the Can at his best game Friday if he’s to win his fourth straight race in the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship at Oaklawn Park.

The 1 1/16-mile stakes highlights the meet’s penultimate card. It’s for 3-year-olds and up bred in Arkansas and drew 13. The card also includes an allowance with Empire of Gold, the fourth-place finisher in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and stakes winners Mr. Jagermeister, Engage, and Share the Upside. The infield is scheduled to be open.

Tempt Fate will be making his two-turn debut after winning all three of his starts at the meet. Man in the Can, who is the reigning Arkansas-bred of the year, is moving back to two turns after running second to Tempt Fate in the $150,000 Nodouble over six furlongs on March 27 at Oaklawn. The Arkansas Breeders’ Championship is the lone Arkansas-bred route stakes available, and last year it was won by Man in the Can.

“We’re proven that we run our better races going two turns,” said Ron Moquett, who trains Man in the Can.

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“With limited route races for the breeds, he’s good enough short. If there’s a speed meltdown, he probably can get a win. I’m just happy to get to this point in the year, where we look like we got a good shot in our favor.”

Man in the Can won his Arkansas-bred title for a 2020 campaign that included a win in the $100,000 Rainbow, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds bred in Arkansas. He also won a 1 1/8-mile allowance at Churchill Downs over Dean Martini, who came back to win the Grade 3 Ohio Derby.

Man in the Can races for JRita Young Thoroughbreds and Robert LaPenta, and on Friday he will break from post 11 under David Cabrera.

“There’s some horses in there that have never gone around two turns, so they could go pretty quick,” Moquett said. “We’ll let it fall out however it does. He’s tactical enough to get to the front if he needs to, and if you want him to sit three, four lengths off of it stalking, he can do that, too.”

Tempt Fate has built his streak against Arkansas-breds, winning allowances on the front end Feb. 9 and March 12 before taking the Nodouble. Cristian Torres has the mount from post 8 for Jerry Caroom and Carl Deville.

Empire of Gold enters the ninth race off a third-place finish to C Z Rocket in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint on April 10 at Oaklawn. The start was his first since the Breeders’ Cup.

“He ran a heck of a race,” said co-owner and trainer Terry Eoff. “At the end, he just got a little tired. Never being at that track, first race of the season, if we had a race under us we may not have won it, but we’d have been right there with C Z Rocket. It makes a big difference if you’ve got a race under you.

“We’re going to have some fun with him this year. I think he could take us to the big show one more time.”

Cabrera has the mount from post 2.