Thomas Shelby lands in stakes-caliber allowance
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Thomas Shelby is running for more than the $108,000 purse in Sunday’s featured eighth race at Oaklawn Park.
He’s running for a title.
A win from Thomas Shelby in the conditioned allowance over 1 1/16 miles would help the cause of M and M Racing in the race for the meet’s leading owner. Mike and Mickala Sisk are seeking their fifth straight local title and through Thursday were tied for second in the standings with 15 wins, one behind leader Shortleaf Stable.
“I think it’s going to be a battle to the end,” said Robertino Diodoro, who trains Thomas Shelby.
So might the feature on Sunday. The field of seven horses includes Grade 2 winner and millionaire Silver Prospector, Grade 3 winner Background, stakes winner Caddo River, and the sharp Santos Dumont.
Thomas Shelby lands here after scratching from the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap on April 23.
“We preferred this spot,” Diodoro said. “When the dust settled, this is a salty race. Very salty. It’s a heck of an allowance race.”
Thomas Shelby is making his first start in the overnight ranks this meet after being a contender in stakes for older horses all season long. He was second to Lone Rock in the $200,000 Tinsel in December; third by three-quarters of a length in the Fifth Season in January; second by a neck to Plainsman in the Grade 3 Razorback in February; and fourth after breaking last and then dueling throughout in the Grade 3 Essex on March 19.
“He’s a nice horse,” Diodoro said. “He just continues to get better. I really believe he’s training like a good horse. He’s run in some tough races, had some tough beats. I’ve been waiting for him to kind of back up on us, but he keeps moving forward and I expect good things from him again on Sunday.”
The last time Thomas Shelby ran in the overnight ranks he won a $20,000 starter allowance in November at this distance at Churchill Downs. He led throughout in what was his third consecutive win behind a pair of allowance victories. Thomas Shelby will break from post 5 under regular rider David Cohen.
“I think he likes to be on the lead,” Diodoro said. “I think he can do both. He has sat off it. He just gets brave on the lead. He definitely likes the lead.”
Silver Prospector, who in his last start was fifth in the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile on April 2, is moving back to the distance of his biggest wins. They came in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in 2019 at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes in 2020 at Oaklawn.
Background was an allowance winner at a mile on April 2 at Oaklawn. Last year, he won the Grade 3 Longacres Mile Handicap at Emerald Downs. Background is a four-time winner at Oaklawn.
Caddo River won last year’s Smarty Jones at a mile at Oaklawn and also was second in the Arkansas Derby.