Tapatio Leo seeks fifth straight win

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The best word to describe Tapatio Leo’s four straight wins heading into Friday’s ninth race at Oaklawn Park is simple.

“He’s hot,” said trainer Peter Miller.

The word also is a play on the horse’s name.

“Tapatio is a brand of hot sauce,” explained the trainer.

Friday’s race is a six-furlong conditioned allowance for 4-year-olds and up that figures to produce starters for the Grade 3 Whitmore here March 16. The field of seven includes stakes winners Ryvit, Excess Magic, Sir Wellington, Empire of Gold, and Devil’s Tower.

Tapatio Leo has not yet tested stakes company, but the local sprint series is one reason the horse was sent to Oaklawn from his base in Southern California.

“The Whitmore and the Count Fleet are certainly in our sights,” said Miller.

Miller won the 2021 Count Fleet and Whitmore, which was previously named the Hot Springs, with the recently retired C Z Rocket.

The baton is now passed to Tapatio Leo, who looks to build upon a win streak that began last September in a California-bred allowance at Del Mar. He beat statebreds again at Santa Anita, defeated open foes at Los Alamitos, then came here and led throughout to capture a second-level allowance Feb. 10.

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“He’s very, very fast and so if he runs back to his last three or four races, he should be tough,” Miller said. “We are coming back on a little bit short rest, but the horse has bounced out of the race very well. The race made sense.”

Tapatio Leo will break from post 2 under Ramon Vazquez. The son of Stay Thirsty races for his breeder, Terry Lovingier, and partners Griffin Stables, Amanda Navarro, John Ryan, and John Moroney.

Excess Magic, a two-time stakes winner coming off a third-place finish to Skelly in the King Cotton at Oaklawn, is another quick horse in the field. He is drawn outside Tapatio Leo in post 6 and could get an ideal tracking trip under Rafael Bejarano.

Ryvit will get good support as a Grade 3 winner who could take advantage if the pace gets hot. He closed from last to win the $300,000 Steel Valley Sprint in November at Mahoning Valley. Ryvit will start from post 3. Keith Asmussen has the mount for Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and trainer Steve Asmussen.

Sir Wellington last raced in December when third to Skelly in an allowance at Oaklawn. Devil’s Tower exits a win in the Sam’s Town at Delta Downs, and Empire of Gold is returning to Oaklawn off a runner-up finish in an allowance at Sam Houston. The field is completed by the Grade 3-placed Chasing Time.

The card includes an entry-level allowance for 4-year-olds and up over six furlongs that drew Media Mogul, a half-brother to champion Arcangelo. He could get a nice setup behind the race’s ample speed. A quick pace would also serve the cause of B Sudd.

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