Wild Bout Hilary ($34) holds off Free Like a Girl in Bayakoa

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It was a Louisiana exacta in Arkansas on Saturday when Wild Bout Hilary had just enough to hold off a surging Free Like a Girl in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa at Oaklawn Park.

Wild Bout Hilary won by a head, while it was another half-length back in third to 2-5 favorite Loved.

The Bayakoa was a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares, and part of a local series that culminates with the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap. Last year, Free Like a Girl was third in the Apple Blossom.

Wild Bout Hilary ($34) jumped out to the lead soon after the start while her primary pace rival, Corningstone, missed the break from her rail post. Wild Bout Hilary proceeded to dole out fractions of 24.47 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.94 for the half-mile, and 1:13.09 for six furlongs. Free Like a Girl tracked in second and Loved stalked in third. In the stretch, Free Like a Girl cut into Wild Bout Hilary’s advantage, but Wild Bout Hilary held to the wire to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:44.15.

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C.J. McMahon was aboard the winner for trainer Tanner Tracy.

Wild Bout Hilary came into the Bayakoa off a win in the Pago Hop at Fair Grounds, a race that was moved from turf to dirt. One start prior, she was fourth to Free Like a Girl in the Treasure Chest at Delta Downs.

Wild Bout Hilary is a 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute and the stakes-winning mare Wild Bout Tiffany. She is owned by 5 Finger Racing. Wild Bout Hilary earned $150,000 for the victory Saturday to improve her career mark to six wins from 13 starts for earnings $305,340.

Loved was making her first start since November, when she won the Grade 3 Falls City at Churchill Downs Corningstone was seeking to win her third consecutive stakes at the meet, after taking the Mistletoe and Pippin.

The next race in the Oaklawn series is the Azeri.

The card Saturday closed out an abbreviated raceweek as there will be no live racing on Super Bowl Sunday. Racing will resume Friday.

*Jockey Martin Garcia was off his mounts Saturday because he is visiting a terminally ill mentor in San Francisco, said his agent, Jay Fedor. He said the rider would return next weekend. Garcia was in Southern California last week to ride champion Citizen Bull, with the pair winning the Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita.

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