Steve Asmussen (Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)
Oaklawn Barn Notes by Robert Yates
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.— Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen entered Sunday with 9,996 career North American victories after capturing Saturday’s seventh race at Oaklawn with millionaire multiple graded stakes winner Silver Prospector.
Already North America’s all-time winningest trainer, Asmussen has another two victories in the United Arab Emirates, bringing his worldwide total up to 9,998.
Silver Prospector, the 5-2 favorite under eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr., finished 3 ¾ lengths ahead of stablemate and 2021 Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock in the one-mile allowance race for older horses. Silver Prospector ($7.80) ran the distance over a muddy track in 1:38.07. It was Silver Prospector’s first victory at Oaklawn since the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds in 2020.
Asmussen has six horses entered Sunday at two tracks – Oaklawn (four) and Sam Houston Race Park (two). His North American total reflects his victories in the United States and Canada.
Asmussen enters Sunday with 832 career victories at Oaklawn (No. 2 all time). The late Bob Holthus (867) is Oaklawn’s all-time winningest trainer. Asmussen has collected a record 12 Oaklawn training titles. Silver Prospector represented the 696th career Oaklawn victory for Santana. Only six jockeys in Oaklawn history have reached 700 career victories in Hot Springs.
Friday’s Feature
Joel Rosario, the 2021 Eclipse Award winner as the country’s outstanding jockey, is named on six horses Friday at Oaklawn, including Morello for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in the featured eighth race, an imposing $108,000 allowance sprint for older horses.
“There’s no easy ones at Oaklawn,” said trainer Chris Hartman, whose Necker Island is scheduled to make his 2023 debut in the 6-furlong race.
Although Necker Island is a multiple stakes winner of $828,357, he’s not the most accomplished of the seven entrants.
Millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner C Z Rocket is scheduled to make his 9-year-old debut for Southern California-based trainer Peter Miller. C Z Rocket won Oaklawn’s $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes and $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) in 2021. He also finished second in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) in 2020 and 2022. Both races were at Keeneland.
Morello, who was on the Kentucky Derby trail last year, is a Grade 3 winner. Rotknee (five for seven overall) is a multiple stakes winner for trainer Mike Maker. Heart Rhythm exits a fourth in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses at one-mile Jan. 14 at Oaklawn for trainer John Ortiz.
Rosario was Oaklawn’s eighth-leading rider last year with 27 victories. Probable post time for Friday’s eighth race is 4:10 p.m. (Central).
Solid as a Rock
Millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner Lone Rock continues to progress toward his 2023 debut after working 5 furlongs in 1:02.40 Sunday morning at Oaklawn for trainer Robertino Diodoro.
Sunday’s work was the fourth in the last 21 days at Oaklawn for Lone Rock, who returned to Diodoro’s barn in early January.
The 8-year-old gelding is unraced since late July. Diodoro said Lone Rock could resurface later in the Oaklawn meeting, possibly in the $150,000 Temperence Hill Stakes for older horses at 1 ½ miles April 2. Lone Rock, a distance specialist, finished second in the Temperence Hill in 2021 and won the race last year.
“One work at a time,” Diodoro said.
After winning the $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles and the Temperence Hill last season at Oaklawn, Lone Rock captured the $160,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes at 1 ½ miles May 3 at Churchill Downs. The gelding then finished third in final two starts of 2022 – the $400,000 Brooklyn Stakes (G2) at 1 ½ miles June 11 at Belmont Park and the $200,000 Birdstone Stakes at 1 ¾ miles July 28 at Saratoga. Lone Rock swept both of those races in 2021. Lone Rock resumed light training late last year in Florida after a lengthy break following the 2022 Birdstone.
“The part I like is he wasn’t turned out because of injuries,” Diodoro said. “He was turned out because we thought he was tired and deserved a break. Hopefully, he comes back good.”
A son of Majestic Warrior, Lone Rock has a 16-5-3 record from 42-lifetime starts and earnings of $1,412,541. Lone Rock has flourished at marathon distances since Diodoro reclaimed the gelding for $40,000 in November 2020 at Churchill Downs.
Finish Lines
Francisco Arrieta ($2,026,436) became the first jockey to reach $2 million in purse earnings at the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting when Klassy Bridgette won Saturday’s $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters. Arrieta was Oaklawn’s co-leading rider last season and had 29 victories through Saturday to rank second in this season’s standings. … Klassy Bridgette ($7.40) moved 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman to 20 for 56 at the 2022-2023 meeting. … Cristian Torres rode three winners Saturday to push his meet-leading total to 34. Torres won the second race aboard favored Gold Buckle ($7.80) for Diodoro, sixth race aboard Undecoded ($48.80) for trainer Tim Martin of Hot Springs and the eighth race aboard Jackman ($28.60) for trainer Karl Broberg. … Two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox ($1,024,375) became the fourth trainer to reach $1 million in purse earnings at the 2022-2023 meeting when Punchbowl won her career debut in Saturday’s 10th race, a $90,000 maiden special weight sprint for 3-year-old fillies, under Flavien Prat. It was Cox’s 275th career Oaklawn victory. He entered Sunday with 1,994 overall, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Punchbowl ($6.80), a daughter of champion Uncle Mo, is a homebred for Gary and Mary West. Cox and the Wests, earlier Saturday at Aqueduct, teamed to win the $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds with Hit Show. Hit Show, another West homebred, was a Dec. 17 entry-level allowance winner at Oaklawn. … Home Run Trick notched his eighth career Oaklawn victory with a front-running one-length score in Saturday’s third race, a starter-allowance for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. It was the first of two winners on the card for jockey Rafael Bejarano, who rode Home Run Trick for trainer Terry Brennan of Bonnerdale, Ark. The eight-year-old Home Run Trick was racing as a gelding for the first time Saturday.
