Acting Out takes the $200,000 Carousel Stakes over Frank’s Rockette
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Juddmonte Farm Inc.’s Fulsome, winner of last year’s Oaklawn Stakes, returned to Hot Springs for his 4-year-old debut and pulled the mild upset in the $400,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3), the first edition as a graded stakes.
Fulsome got shuffled back to last at the break and stayed there while Market Analysis set the early fractions of :22 3/5 and :45 4/5 for the first half mile. Cezanne, the 4-5 favorite, came from third to grab the lead at the top of the stretch, but could not hold off the fast-closing winner, who got up in the final jump to win by a neck in 1:36 2/5 for a mile over a fast track. Runnin’ Ray was third.
“I think his wheelhouse is when he gets a pace,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “A mile, a mile and sixteenth, I think whenever there’s some pace to run at, he’s going to come running. He’s a very honest horse. He always tries and that’s kind of what I was hoping for coming into this race – we were going to see some pace. I think lots of times the mile races here at Oaklawn, you get some pace. They don’t always back up, but they are quick enough. The horses up close were the ones we went by. It didn’t completely fall apart, but he was able to get things set up for him and he made a big run and had his momentum down the lane. He ran big.”
Fulsome, an Into Mischief colt making his first start since the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) last September, improved his record to 6-1-1 in 11 starts and has now earned $879,324. He returned $18.80, $5.40 and $3.80.
“Great effort. It set up perfectly. I was far back because I got squeezed really hard leaving the gate. I tapped on the breaks and was able to save ground on both turns. When it was time to go, I just tipped him out and he was able to go by those horses pretty easily at the end,” remarked Geroux.
“We had a good trip. He really ran a good race,” commented Prat who rode Cezanne.
$200,000 Carousel Stakes
Kicking off the stakes action on the 13-race card was the $200,000 Carousel Stakes won by Acting Out in front running fashion. The 5-year-old mare was the quickest out of the gate and had plenty left to hold off 1-2 favorite Frank’s Rockette by a half-length in 1:09 1/5 for six furlongs over a fast track. Novell Squall was third.
Acting Out improved her record to 5-3-0 in 12 starts and has now earned $323,840 for owners Sherman Racing, Inc, Zvika Akin and Robert Harkins and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. She returned $15.40, $4.80 and $3.40.
Carousel Stakes Quotes:
Alan Sherman, son of winning owner Art Sherman (Acting Out): “I had her at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington and she was ready to run and we kept entering her and the race wouldn’t go, so I decided to send her to Jerry (Hollendorfer), who is not only one of the best trainers ever but a very, very good friend – like family to us. He did a heck of a job with her and she ran great the first time. And this race, the timing was perfect, so I said just keep her down there and we’ll try her in the stake and it all worked out.”
Winning assistant trainer Dan Ward (Jerry Hollendorfer), Acting Out: “(Plan was to go the front) if everything’s ideal, we get out good enough where we can get over to the rail and keep the 2 horse (Frank’s Rockette) from going up inside us. He (Martin Garcia) did a great job. She broke good and he asked her just to get over. It was great.”
Winning jockey Martin Garcia, Acting Out: “My filly has a lot speed and I took advantage of that. She broke really sharp. That’s how she likes to run. She got on the lead and just kept going.”
Jockey Flavien Prat, second on Frank’s Rockette: “She ran her race. She broke well. The winner was just quicker than us, so she just took the lead and I was traveling super behind her. I made a move when I wanted to wanted to make a move and just pushed her all the way around.”
Live racing resumes Sunday with a 1 p.m. first post.
By Robert Yates
Photo: Fulsome (Coady Photography)
