Southern California-based Idol has been idle for most of the last year, but the Grade 1 winner is scheduled to launch another comeback in Saturday's $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.
Trained by Richard Baltas, Idol was a candidate for last year's Oaklawn Handicap after winning the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March 2021 at Santa Anita. But Idol has run just once since the Santa Anita Handicap, finishing a well-beaten sixth in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 2 at Santa Anita.
“If you look at the horse, he's a big horse, a tall horse,” Baltas said Tuesday afternoon. “Covers a lot of ground. On those deeper tracks like Santa Anita, he just kind of struggled getting through them and he had some hind-end stuff going on, like muscle.”
Baltas said Idol appears to have shaken his physical issues and has trained forwardly this year at San Luis Rey Downs in Southern California for his 2022 debut. Idol was based at Santa Anita in the winter and spring of 2021.
“He's been doing good lately, though,” Baltas said.
Baltas has a small string at Oaklawn and said he considered several other races for Idol's comeback, including the $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at 1 1/8 miles Saturday at Keeneland, $200,000 Californian Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles April 30 at Santa Anita and the $500,000 Alysheba Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles May 6 at Churchill Downs.
“He's a funny horse,” Baltas said. “He seems to run better on tighter tracks, like Churchill. Even though he won the Santa Anita Handicap, I'm not so sure he likes Santa Anita because he doesn't train well over it and that's one of the main reasons why I sent him to San Luis Rey Downs. He hasn't missed a beat for a while. Look, it's a lot to chew off – off a layoff – but I don't think this race is like extremely tough, not for a million bucks.”
Idol, who is owned by Calvin Nguyen, Baltas' longtime client, has a 3-2-1 record from seven lifetime starts and earnings of $416,964. Idol made his first three career starts in 2020 at Churchill Downs and set a 1 3/16 mile track record (1:55.97) in an allowance race at its fall meet before moving to Southern California.
A 5-year-old son of Curlin, Idol is a full brother to Nest, a leading candidate for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies May 6 at Churchill Downs.
The projected eight-horse Oaklawn Handicap field from the rail out: Beau Luminarie, Florent Geroux to ride, 117 pounds, 12-1 on the morning line; Thomas Shelby, David Cohen, 117, 8-1; Last Samurai, Jon Court, 117, 8-1; Idol, Ramon Vazquez, 119, 6-1; Rated R Superstar, Ricardo Santana Jr., 120, 5-1; Plainsman, Joel Rosario, 121, 5-2; Super Stock, Isaac Castillo, 118, 10-1; and Fearless, Jose Ortiz, 121, 9-5.
Probable post time for the Oaklawn Handicap, which goes at the 11th of 12 races, is 5:41 p.m. (Central). First post Saturday is 12:10 p.m.
The post Big ‘Cap Winner Idol, Full Brother To Oaks Contender Nest, Ready To Launch Comeback In Oaklawn Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
