Haulin Ice easily scoring the Azalea at Gulfstream Park in July. (Screen grab)
By Robert Yates
Haulin Ice is home. Whether it will be a happy homecoming remains to be seen.
One of the leading Arkansas-breds in training, Haulin Ice is scheduled to tackle open company again in Sunday’s ninth race at Oaklawn, a six-furlong $133,000 allowance sprint for 3-year-old fillies.
Haulin Ice made her first five career starts last season at Oaklawn for trainer Lindsay Schultz before being sold privately and transferred to Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Joseph decided to send a string of horses to Oaklawn for the first time in 2024-2025, so Haulin Ice was an obvious candidate to make the trek back to Arkansas.
Haulin Ice is a three-time Oaklawn winner and a stakes winner for Joseph.
“Obviously, she has already accomplished quite a bit,” Joseph said. “Her resume speaks for itself.”
Haulin Ice was sold following an allowance victory against open company May 3 at Oaklawn. In her first start for Joseph, she finished second in the six-furlong $75,000 Game Face Stakes June 1 at Gulfstream Park. Haulin Ice then scored her biggest victory to date July 13 at Gulfstream Park, rolling home by 9 ½ lengths in the $75,000 Azalea Stakes at seven furlongs.
A victory in her next start, the $750,000 Charles Town Oaks (G2) Aug. 23 at Charles Town, would have made Haulin Ice the leading accredited Arkansas-bred female money in history. Instead, she bombed as the favorite in the tricky two-turn, seven-furlong race and finished seventh. Haulin Ice also finished seventh in her last start, the $350,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2) Oct. 19 at Keeneland.
“She’s coming off some disappointing runs,” Joseph said. “One (Charles Town Oaks) was a two-turn seven-eighths, which was a different configuration. The last time at Keeneland, I’m not really sure why she ran so poorly. The plan was always to get her back to Oaklawn this year. This is a good allowance spot. Hopefully, she can rebound and get back to her winning ways. It is a competitive spot. She’s going to need to fire one of her good races. Hopefully, she does going home.”
Haulin Ice (6-1 on the morning line) is scheduled to break from post 9 under Francisco Arrieta. The gray daughter of millionaire Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front has a 4-3-0 record from nine lifetime starts – all this year – and earnings of $364,550.
Mink’s Palace, fifth in this year’s Raven Run, is the 3-1 program favorite for trainer Eddie Kenneally.
Probable post time for Sunday’s ninth race is 4:14 p.m. (Central).
Finish Lines … … ……. ………
Saturday’s fourth race at Oaklawn will be the 10,000th race call in the career of track announcer Matt Dinerman. Dinerman is in his second season as Oaklawn’s track announcer. …
Francisco Arrieta recorded a riding double Friday at Oaklawn, pushing his career total to 995 in North America, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Arrieta won the sixth race aboard Scrupulous ($11.20) for trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs and the eighth race aboard Happy Strike ($24.40) for trainer F. Dewaine Loy. Happy Strike marked Arrieta’s 250th career Oaklawn victory. …
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen recorded his record-extending 950th career Oaklawn victory in Friday’s first race with Great Barrier ($7.20).
