HWL Partnership's Coastal Charm and L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt's Ryvit both ended their 2022-2023 Oaklawn season with three wins from four starts with their respective front-running victories in the $150,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes and $150,000 Bachelor Stakes before an on-track crowd of 25,000.
In the Dig a Diamond, jockey Martin Garcia allowed Coastal Charm to take an easy lead and proceeded to set fractions of :24.011 and :48.76 for the first half mile while holding a half length advantage. As the field entered the stretch, the winner began to open up on her competition and coasted home to a 2¼ -ength victory over Gunning. Butterbean was third, a neck in front of even-money favorite Lovely Ride. The winning time was 1:39.03 for one mile over a muddy track.
Coastal Charm, who was claimed out of her maiden victory by trainer Steve Hobby for $30,000 last September at Churchill, has now won four of nine career starts and earned $249,480. The 4-year-old Ghostzapper mare returned $19.60 for the win.
“I really didn't expect to get the lead in that race, but we had the rail and she broke sharp,” Hobby said. “She ran well. We've had a great meet.”
One race later, Ryvit and jockey Keith Asmussen followed similar tactics in the Bachelor Stakes, going right to the front and leading the field through fractions of :21.86 and :45.78 for the first half mile. The Competitive Edge colt had a comfortable lead entering the stretch and had plenty left to hold off the fast closing Mo Strike, the 8-5 favorite, for a two-length victory in 1:11.16 for six furlongs over a muddy track. Arman was third.
Ryvit was winning for the third straight time, climbing right up the ranks from maiden winner to stakes winner within that span. He returned $7.40.
“He ran well last year and had worked really nice over the winter,” winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He didn't run as expected the first maiden race here. Then, maybe just fate. I kind of put him in Keith's (Asmussen's) hands off the disappointing run the first time we ran him here. It's a University of Texas victory, with (owners) Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Keith all being UT alums.”
Live racing resumes tomorrow with a 12:30 p.m. first post. After Sunday, there are only three more live racing days for the 2022-2023 season. There will be racing May 4-6, concluding on Kentucky Derby Day.
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