Time for Truth breaks his maiden Dec. 31 at Oaklawn Park (Coady Photography)
• Cristian Torres on the Kentucky Derby Trail
• Mystik Dan Back to Work
Oaklawn Barn Notes by Robert Yates
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.—The truth will finally come out Saturday at Oaklawn.
Lightly raced Time for Truth will make his first start around two turns – a week later than originally scheduled – in the eighth race, an 8 ½-furlong, entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds that offers a purse of $140,000.
A Triple Crown nominee, Time for Truth was entered in the $1.25 million G2-Rebel Stakes last Saturday at Oaklawn but was scratched after suffering a minor shin injury on the eve of the race, trainer Ron Moquett said. The 1 1/16-mile Rebel, Oaklawn’s third Kentucky Derby points race, was supposed to be Time for Truth’s two-turn debut.
“It was just poor timing, as far as the little injury thing,” Moquett said. “It was just acting up in his stall and he kind of bumped his shin. We thought he would, hopefully, be a little skin sore one day and everything would be OK. And then the morning of the race, he jogged perfectly sound, but he had an inflammation, and these owners are smart, and they allowed me to just be cautious.”
Time for Truth, who is co-owned by Arkansan Harry Rosenblum and Oklahoman Everett Dobson (Cheyenne Stables), was entered in the allowance race roughly 24 hours after scratching from the Rebel.
“There was nothing wrong with the bone,” Moquett said. “It just had a bruise on it. But if somebody was to grab it, he would be reactive. So, there was no sense in that (running).
Time for Truth is from the first crop of millionaire Omaha Beach, who won the second division of the $750,000 G2-Rebel and $1 million G1-Arkansas Derby in 2019.
Time for Truth became the first Oaklawn winner for Omaha Beach with a front-running 1 ¾-length debut score at six furlongs Dec. 31, generating a robust 89 Beyer Speed Figure. Time for Truth tackled stakes company in his next start and finished second to the accomplished Valentine Candy in the six-furlong $150,000 Ozark Feb. 10. Time for Truth, the betting favorite, was beaten 2 ½ lengths after leading to midstretch.
Time for Truth was 15-1 on the morning line for the Rebel, which was the final major local prep for the $1.5 million G1-Arkansas Derby March 30. He’s the 5-2 second choice in the program Saturday.
“Still got the same goals,” Moquett said, referring to the Arkansas Derby. “You just have to find a different way to get there.”
Rafael Bejarano has the return call on Time for Truth, who is scheduled to break from post 10 in the projected 11-horse field.
The 8-5 program favorite is Triple Crown nominee Ethan Energy, who exits a fourth-place finish in the $200,000 G3-Lecomte Stakes Jan. 20 at the Fair Grounds for trainer Brad Cox.
Awesome Road is 9-2 in the program for Cox. Another Triple Crown nominee, Awesome Road, finished fourth in the $800,000 G3-Southwest Stakes Feb. 3.
Probable post time for the eighth race is 4:15 p.m. (Central).
Cristian Torres on the Kentucky Derby Trail
Oaklawn-based jockey Cristian Torres has never ridden in the Kentucky Derby. He’s never had a better opportunity in his young career than this year.
Of the country’s 22 Kentucky Derby points races to date this season, Torres has won four – two more than any other jockey – including the 8 ½-furlong $1.25 million G2-Rebel Stakes Saturday aboard heavily favored Timberlake for trainer Brad Cox.
The Rebel marked the first career seven-figure purse victory for Torres, 26, a Puerto Rico native who rode his first winner April 21, 2019, at Gulfstream Park and was Oaklawn’s leading rider last season.
“It’s crazy when you think about it,” Torres said Tuesday morning. “Four Derby preps. Four different horses. It’s great. Hopefully, we can get a mount with one of them the first Saturday in May.”
Torres was aboard Timberlake ($3.60) for the first time because his regular pilot, Florent Geroux, was in the Middle East to ride the Cox-trained Saudi Crown in Saturday’s $20 million G1-Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race. Cox and Torres had previously teamed to win Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby points race this year, the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 1, with Catching Freedom.
Torres also won two Kentucky Derby points races late last year – $200,000 G3-Street Sense Stakes Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs aboard Liberal Arts for trainer Robbie Medina and $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 23 at the Fair Grounds aboard Track Phantom for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
Timberlake was making his 3-year-old debut in the Rebel after winning the $500,000 G1-Champagne Stakes – a one-turn mile Oct. 7 at Aqueduct – and concluding 2023 with a fourth-place finish in the $2 million G1-Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
Timberlake, who races for WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, won the Rebel by two lengths. It was the first victory around two turns for Timberlake, a son of Into Mischief.
“He’s an all-class horse,” Torres said. “I got on him in the (infield) and the way he walked and handled everything with the pony, after just being here for three or four days after coming from the Fair Grounds, and all the crowd, he was just a professional. I definitely got the trip that I wanted. I was worried about the break because he usually breaks a step slow. But that day, he broke awesome. He was right there in the race by himself. I didn’t have to fight him much. He relaxed beautifully for me. I still watch the race and can’t believe how well he relaxed for me.”
Cox said the $1.5 million G1-Arkansas Derby March 30 at Oaklawn is among the races under consideration for Timberlake and Catching Freedom. Cox has won the 1 1/8-mile race the last two years. Liberal Arts is pointing for the Arkansas Derby. Track Phantom is targeting the $1 million G2-Louisiana Derby at 1 3/16 miles March 23 at Fair Grounds.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Torres said. “We’re going to keep working hard to see if we can get the opportunity. I want to be in that race (Kentucky Derby). I’ve already won on four different types of horses. Let’s see if we can get an opportunity.”
Torres’ previous most lucrative victory had come in the $600,000 G3-Razorback Handicap for older horses last February at Oaklawn aboard Last Samurai for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Torres has a meet-high 41 victories this season at Oaklawn.
Mystik Dan Back to Work
Mystik Dan worked a half-mile in :49.00 over a fast track Friday morning at the Fair Grounds, his first breeze since a runaway victory in the 8 ½-furlong $800,000 G3-Southwest Stakes Feb. 3.
Trainer Kenny McPeek is pointing Mystik Dan toward the nine-furlong $1.5 million G1-Arkansas Derby March 30 at Oaklawn. Brian Hernandez Jr., who is based at Fair Grounds, rode Mystik Dan in the Southwest and was aboard for the work.
“He worked great,” said Hernandez, who rode Saturday and Sunday at Oaklawn. “He came out of the race (well) and seems like a happy horse. So, we’re excited.”
McPeek said Mystik Dan returned to Fair Grounds shortly after his eight-length Southwest victory, adding the Goldencents colt will have most of his serious training there leading up to the Arkansas Derby. McPeek has divisions at both tracks.
Also pointing for the Arkansas Derby are Just Steel and Liberal Arts, second and third, respectively, in the Southwest.
Finish Lines ________________________________
Favored Zeitlos ($3.40) represented the record-extending 110th career Oaklawn stakes victory for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in last Saturday’s $150,000 Carousel for older female sprinters. It was also the record-extending eighth Carousel victory for Asmussen. …
Asmussen won six races last week at Oaklawn, pushing his meet-high total to 39 after 30 days of the scheduled 64-day season. The late Cole Norman won a single-season Oaklawn record 71 races in 2003. Asmussen (915 victories) is the winningest trainer in Oaklawn history. …
Trainer Brad Cox enters Friday with 298 career Oaklawn victories. Only 15 trainers have reached 300 career Oaklawn victories …
Jockey Kylee Jordan (dislocated left shoulder) is “tentatively” scheduled to have surgery Thursday, her agent, Bobby Dean, said Tuesday morning. Dean said he isn’t sure if Jordan will return before the Oaklawn meeting ends May 5. Jordan hasn’t ridden since Feb. 2, when she was injured during Oaklawn’s fourth race after going to a left-handed stick aboard victorious Sweet Mother Mary for her father, trainer Todd Jordan. …
Jockey Kelsi Harr (foot fracture) is getting on horses again and said Tuesday morning that she hopes to resume riding “soon.” Harr hasn’t ridden since she was injured in a starting gate incident before the 10th race Feb. 4 at Oaklawn. …
The $400,000 G2-Azeri Stakes for older fillies and mares closed Saturday with 23 nominations, including recent Grade 3 winners Bellamore, Comparative and Hot and Sultry. The 1 1/16-miles Azeri is March 9.
