Haulin Ice in the 17th Running of the DownTheDustyRoad Breeders’ Stakes. (Coady Media)
By Robert Yates
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – As expected, Haulin Ice’s return to Arkansas-bred competition was bad news for the opposition.
In little more than a paid workout, Haulin Ice cruised to a record-setting six-length victory in the $150,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas-bred female sprinters, 3 and up, Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.
The Downthedustyroad marked another happy homecoming for Haulin Ice, who won three races at the 2023-2024 Oaklawn meeting before being privately purchased last spring and transferred to Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Haulin Ice returned to Oaklawn to beat open allowance company Dec. 22, then toyed with six rivals as the 2-5 Downthedustyroad favorite under Francisco Arrieta. Punchy Girl finished second, 5 ½ lengths ahead of stablemate Appealing Addie, who was followed, in order, by Arr Piratetreasure, Bennykayandsuzytoo, She’s Storming and Q’s Your Mama. Lassie My Girl and Sulwe were scratched.
Racing over a fast track, Haulin Ice covered six furlongs in a stakes-record 1:10.26, eclipsing the previous mark of 1:10.50 (Bye Bye J) in 2020.
Haulin Ice, after breaking from the rail, was able to take command in the first eighth of a mile. She led by two lengths through a :22.21 opening quarter, three lengths after a half-mile mile in :45.73 and extended her margin through the stretch while only being shown the whip.
Haulin Ice rebounded – emphatically – from a last-place finish in the $215,000 Inside Information Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares at seven furlongs Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. In her 4-year-old debut, she was beaten 13 ½ lengths by stablemate Mystic Lake following a sluggish break from the rail.
The Downthedustyroad was Haulin Ice’s first Oaklawn stakes victory and fifth overall in Hot Springs. She also ran second in the $150,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred filly sprinters last April at Oaklawn.
Haulin Ice began her racing career for trainer Lindsay Schultz and the filly’s breeder, Eugenia Thompson-Benight, before being privately purchased by an ownership group that includes C2 Racing (brothers Clint and Mark Cornett) following an allowance victory in open company May 3 at Oaklawn.
The Downthedustyroad was the second career stakes victory for Haulin Ice, whose first came in the $75,000 Azalea at 7 furlongs July 13 at Gulfstream Park. A gray daughter of millionaire Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front, Haulin Ice won for the sixth time in 12 starts and raised her career earnings to $538,850. Haulin Ice was named 2024 Arkansas-bred Horse of the Year by the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ & Horsemen’s Association.
The Downthedustyroad was the third stakes victory of the meeting for Joseph, who has a string at Oaklawn this season.
Congratulations to jockey Chel-C Bailey in her FIRST career stakes win in today’s DownTheDustyRoad Breeders’ Stakes aboard John Carver’s Summer Shoes, trained by Tom Swearingen! pic.twitter.com/Y4lgOwWAUb
— Oaklawn Hot Springs (@OaklawnRacing) March 4, 2023
Downthedustyroad Quotes
Winning jockey Francisco Arrieta (Haulin Ice): “The race looked like an easy spot. When I saw two scratches, it was even easier. I was a little worried being inside. She’s a little anxious sometimes. She moved a little bit around, but she jumped good. That was the goal. After that, it was just an easy trip. When I let her good, she just took off. I never hit her with the whip. She was just doing it easy. Today was easy for her.”
Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. via phone (Haulin Ice): “She did it well. She loves Arkansas. That’s where she was born. She’s going to come back to Florida, but I would think most likely she’ll make another start there again. We know she likes the track. I would say she’ll run there again, but she’ll come home.”
