Warrior's Battle seeks fourth win of the meet

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Warrior’s Battle has already had a meet to remember at Oaklawn Park, and it could get even sweeter in the featured eighth race Thursday.

She will be looking for her fourth win of the meet in the conditioned allowance for 3-year-old fillies over six furlongs. The field of six includes Gimmick, who was a maiden special weight winner at Saratoga, and Hartley, who was an eight-length debut winner in February at Oaklawn.

Warrior’s Battle is 3 for 4 this meet, dating back to a December win over $40,000 maiden-claiming rivals at six furlongs in her third career start. She proceeded to win starter allowances at six furlongs and a mile before finishing second in an allowance over 1 1/16 miles March 13.

Warrior’s Battle was tied for second-winningest horse of the meet through Saturday.

“She a decent filly,” said Brad Cox, who trains Warrior’s Battle for Ten Strike Racing and Titletown Racing. “We were fortunate enough to get her maiden broke and find two starter races that made sense. She’s followed that up with a good effort in an allowance against a filly we think a lot of, and we found this race, and hopefully she can add to her Oaklawn résumé.”

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Interstatedaydream is the filly Warrior’s Battle ran second to last time out. She is now headed to the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland, according to Cox.

Warrior’s Battle will be cutting back to the longest one-turn offering at Oaklawn. She will break from post 4 under Ricardo Santana Jr.

“Six furlongs might not be the preferred distance,” Cox said. “She might want to go a little bit farther, but we don’t have a lot of options here between three-quarters and a mile, and this race came up with somewhat of a short field and we thought it made a lot of sense to give her a run there.

“Hopefully, she’s quick enough to be effective. She won going short, so I think it’s definitely doable.”

Warrior’s Battle is a daughter of Khozan and a half-sister to Grade 3-winning millionaire Warrior’s Charge.

Gimmick was a maiden winner at this distance Aug. 15 at Saratoga. She made her first start at 3 last out when fifth in an entry-level allowance Feb. 26 at Fair Grounds. Matareya won the six-furlong race in a blazing 1:08.98 and is now being pointed to the Grade 3 Beaumont at Keeneland, according to her trainer, Cox.

Steve Asmussen trains Gimmick for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. She is a daughter of Into Mischief and a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Following Sea. Ramon Vazquez has the mount from the rail Thursday.

Hartley owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 79, for her wire-to-wire win over $50,000 maiden-claiming rivals Feb. 18 at Oaklawn. Tiago Pereira has the mount for trainer Lynn Chleborad.