Wings Locked Up figures a forward presence in starter allowance

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There are a handful of stakes winners in the field for Sunday’s featured eighth race, a starter allowance for 4-year-olds and up who have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less. The lineup for the six-furlong race includes Grade 3 winners Matrooh and Guns Loaded, and last-out stakes winner Wings Locked Up.

Wings Locked Up wired the field in the $50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup in his most recent start Feb. 24. He has a chance to shake free Sunday, or he could track the quick Guns Loaded, who is situated to his inside. Wings Locked Up won the Houston Sprint Cup by a half-length over Counterforce, who was to start as a top contender Sunday in the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial at Sunland Park in New Mexico.

Alex Canchari has the mount on Wings Locked Up for Sad Sac Racing and trainer Clinton Stuart.

Milligan to race at Evangeline

Trainer Allen Milligan, a past title winner at Oaklawn, said he plans to have a division of horses at the Evangeline Downs meet, which opens next month in Opelousas, La. It will be the first time Milligan has had horses at the track. Milligan also plans to set up shop at Lone Star Park near Dallas after the close of Oaklawn. He is a private trainer for Keene Thoroughbreds and is based at Oaklawn.

◗ Oaklawn announced Thursday plans to start a racehorse ownership club. Ron Moquett, a native of Arkansas, will be the trainer of a horse to be purchased privately and raced later this year at 2 before launching his 3-year-old campaign next year at Oaklawn. There are as many as 200 shares available at $500 each, and they were to go on sale on the Oaklawn website Saturday. Next year’s Oaklawn meet is scheduled to run Jan. 11-April 13.

◗ Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that Transgress, the promising 3-year-old who was withdrawn from consideration for the Sunland Derby, is scheduled to return to racing during the upcoming meet at Churchill.

◗ Oaklawn leading trainer Steve Asmussen won the Sam Houston training title for the 10th time at the recently completed meet. End Zone Athletics, which is competing at Oaklawn, won its first owner title at Sam Houston. The leading rider was Lindey Wade. The Sam Houston meet ended March 17.