alex lieblong | Horse Racing Free Tips

Longtime Oaklawn Veterinarian Dr. Lee Cyphers Passes Away

Dr. Lee Cyphers, Oaklawn's longtime Association Veterinarian, passed away Sunday, Sept. 5 following complications from a brain aneurysm. He was a fixture at the Oaklawn starting gate and in the paddock spanning three decades. He was a local Hot Springs veterinarian with a highly successful small animal clinic. However, his training was focused on large animals and his passion was horses.

From Oaklawn President Louis A. Cella:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cyphers family. Dr. Cyphers had been a dedicated member of the Oaklawn team, serving as our Association Veterinarian for over 30 years. He hardly missed a day of races and was at the gate ensuring the safety of our equine athletes more than 15,000 times during his tenure, rain or shine. No matter if the horse was a claimer or a champion like Zenyatta or American Pharoah, Dr. Cyphers gave them the utmost care to ensure they were ready to perform at their best.”

From Arkansas H.B.P.A. President Bill Walmsley:

“Dr. Cyphers was a trusted friend to the horsemen and a very good veterinarian. His top priority was always the safety and well-being of the horses. He will be missed by everyone.”

From Arkansas Racing Commission Chairman Alex Lieblong:

“Dr. Cyphers was liked and respected by everyone. His long tenure at Oaklawn speaks volumes to his dedication and passion for racing and his desire to protect the well-being of every horse. He was always willing to work cooperatively with the state veterinarians, which the Commission always appreciated. He'll be missed.”

Official Obituary:

Louis Lee Cyphers, 66, of Hot Springs passed away on September 5, 2021 with his wife and children at his bedside following a ruptured brain aneurysm on August 3. He was born on August 22, 1955 in El Dorado, AR to the late Peggy and CD Cyphers.

His many accomplishments began with graduating from El Dorado High School in 1973. He then went on to attend Hendrix College finishing with a bachelor's degree in Biology in 1977. Before deciding to attend veterinarian school, he took a few years off to farm tomatoes and soy beans with his dear brother Andy. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. He and his first wife Viki (a fellow classmate) married after graduation and moved to Hot Springs. They opened Cyphers Veterinary Hospital together in 1987 at 111 Temperance Hill Road, which they owned and operated until selling the practice in 2011 (now known as Temperance Hill Animal Hospital). Shortly after moving to Hot Springs, Lee began his long tenure with Oaklawn serving as the track veterinarian from 1990 until he died. He loved this job and all of the friends he made there, the best of which was his wife Kristi. They shared a wonderful life together for over 20 years.

Lee enjoyed all things outdoors, especially camping and bass fishing on Lake DeGray with his family and friends. Lee and Kristi loved camping at Lake DeGray so much that they would regularly stay the maximum allowed 2 weeks per month. He loved to fry fish and deer steak for his crowd and was always the life of any party.

He is preceded in death by his parents and two brothers Steve and Chuck Cyphers.

Survivors include his wife and best friend Kristi; children, Morgan Lee (Summer) Cyphers, Margaret “Meggy” Beatrice (Joseph) Boone, the mother of his children, Viki Cyphers, and Scotty (Grace) Casteel; grandchildren, Noah and Emmie Casteel; siblings, Kay (Andy) Cyphers Garison, Andy Cyphers, and Dan (Amy) Cyphers, DDS, and extended family and many friends.

Memorial services will be announced at a later date.

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Refreshed Grade 1 Winner Wicked Whisper Kicking Off 2021 Campaign In Oaklawn’s Pippin Stakes

Wicked Whisper was poised for a championship in the fall of 2019. Now, it's a career reboot and step one in 2021 is the $150,000 Pippin Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 mile Saturday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the Pippin, the eighth of nine races, is 4:47 p.m. (Central). First post for the second of 57 scheduled race days is 1 p.m. (Central).

Wicked Whisper is the slight 3-1 program favorite for the Pippin, which drew a field of 12 and is Oaklawn's first of three preps for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17. The series continues with the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 and the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 13.

Wicked Whisper was among the country's top 2-year-old fillies of 2019 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway, Ark. She was a front-running 6 ¼-length winner of her career debut at Saratoga and a front-running 2 ¾-length winner of her next start, the $400,000 Frizette Stakes (G1), at Belmont Park. Wicked Whisper's unbeaten record and hopes for an Eclipse Award crashed with a fifth-place finish in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita, a 1 1/16-mile race that marked her two-turn debut.

Sandwiched around minor injury (splint bone) and minor illness, Wicked Wisper captured 1 of 4 starts last year and was withdrawn from Fasig-Tipton's November Sale (Nov. 8) – she was entered as a racing or broodmare prospect – to get another shot for the same racing team in 2021.

“Not really,” Alex Lieblong said, when asked if he seriously considered retiring Wicked Whisper. “He (Asmussen) knew to raise his hand at any point where he thought we should and he didn't. She had a real busy period there for a while, so we thought, 'OK, let's back off her for a while and see what can shape up at Oaklawn.' We did have her in the November Sale, just in case something did show up physically with her during that time. Nothing ever showed up physically, so that gave us a little bit of time for, hopefully, Steve to work his magic and stretch her out.”

Wicked Whisper's final two starts last year were at 6 furlongs. She won the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) Oct. 3 at Pimlico and finished an even fifth in the $125,000 Fort Springs Stakes Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Wicked Whisper had been scheduled to make her 3-year-old debut in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) last March at Oaklawn, but spiked a fever approximately a week before the race, Lieblong said, and her first start didn't come until early July.

“You just couldn't make it up,” said Lieblong, chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission. “But one thing I've learned in this business is it's got several ways to bite you.”

Wicked Whisper has had five published workouts at Oaklawn since Dec. 20 in advance of her 4-year-old debut. From the first crop of Grade 1 winner Liam's Map, Wicked Whisper was purchased for $500,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Wicked Whisper is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Point of Honor, who finished third in the $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares last year at Oaklawn. The Lieblongs were Oaklawn's third-leading owners in 2020.

The 7-2 second choice in the program is Istan Council, who is seeking her first career stakes victory. Istan Council was a 2019 allowance winner at Oaklawn, finished third in the $100,000 Groupie Doll Stakes Aug. 9 at Ellis Park and endured a brutal trip finishing second, beaten a head, in the $75,000 She's All In Stakes at a mile and 70 yards Dec. 18 at Remington Park. Daily Racing Form short comments from Istan Council's past performance running line for the She's All In said the 5-year-old mare lacked room until late, “best.”

“I thought it was one of the very few times you see in the Racing Form where the horse that ran second was much the best,” Jones said.

Other contenders include the Brad Cox-trained duo of Vault and Getridofwhatailesu and Our Super Freak. All are 6-1 in the program. Vault ran sixth in the $263,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) July 18 at Monmouth Park in her last start. Getridofwhatailesu, unraced since last March, has never run in a stakes race, but has won two of her last three starts. Our Super Freak ran second in last year's Molly Pitcher for trainer Cherie DeVaux, a former assistant to four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. DeVaux has never started a horse at Oaklawn.

The projected Pippin field from the rail out: Vault, Florent Geroux to ride, 115 pounds, 6-1; Figure It Out, Francisco Arrieta, 119, 12-1; Getridofwhatailesu, Joe Rocco Jr., 119, 6-1; Sara Sea, Fernando De La Cruz, 115, 30-1; Chance to Shine, Ken Tohill, 115, 10-1; Istan Council, Joe Talamo, 115, 7-2; Wicked Whisper, Ricardo Santana Jr., 122, 3-1; Blessed Again, Terry Thompson, 119, 30-1; Regal Beauty, Martin Garcia, 115, 8-1; His Glory, David Cabrera, 117, 12-1; Graysonsmacho Gal, Ramon Vazquez, 115, 15-1; and Our Super Freak, David Cohen, 115, 6-1.

Jones won last year's Pippin with the recently retired Whoa Nellie.

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Oaklawn Releases New Proposed Integrity Initiatives for ’21

Working in partnership with the Arkansas Racing Commission and the Arkansas HBPA (Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort has announced, subject to legislative approval, a series of significant proposed safety and integrity enhancements planned for the 2021 racing season. Key provisions include the prohibition of Clenbuterol within 60 days of a race, reduction in the maximum amount of Lasix without specific approval, and the mandatory use of safety whips in races.

“We began working on these measures last spring,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “We hosted a series of roundtable meetings with horsemen, regulators, racing officials, and our own management team where we asked a simple question: ‘What can we do to enhance the safety and integrity of our program?'”

The rule changes are currently making their way through the regulatory approval process in Arkansas and are expected to be finalized in advance of the start of the 2021 racing season Jan. 22.

“We could not have accomplished all of this without the strong partnership we have with our Racing Commission and our horsemen,” Cella said. “When it comes to integrity and safety, we are united.”

Some of the proposed rule or policy changes include:

The use of Clenbuterol or any other beta2-agonist will not be allowed within 60 days prior to a race at Oaklawn, confirmed for the first time through hair testing.
The maximum dosage of Lasix that can be administered has been reduced by 50% without specific approval of the State Veterinarian. Lasix is also prohibited in any 3-year-old stakes that awards points towards eligibility in the GI Kentucky Derby (Smarty Jones, GII Southwest S., GII Rebel S., and GI Arkansas Derby) and GI Kentucky Oaks (Martha Washington, GIII Honeybee S., and GIII Fantasy S.)
The use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, radial pulse wave therapy or similar treatments will not be allowed within 30 days of a race. Also, shock wave equipment will not be allowed on Oaklawn’s grounds at any time.
Trainer and veterinarian records must be made available upon request for review by the pre-race exam veterinarians.
The only riding crops allowed during races will be the 360 Gentle Touch (360 GT), Pro-Cush or other similar riding crops approved by the stewards.
Off-track training facilities in Arkansas will be asked to agree to abide by rules similar to rules that apply on-track.
Horses will be required to be on the grounds at least 72 hours before races unless approved for late arrival. To facilitate this, entries will be scheduled at least four days prior to a race.

“Our racing program has become one of the elite racing programs in America with a projected average daily purse distribution of $700,000 a day in 2021,” he added. “In addition, we are close to completing a $100-million expansion project that will elevate the program even further. So, the time for safety and integrity enhancements is now.”

One of the individuals who worked closely with Oaklawn and horsemen in the development of these measures was Alex Lieblong, Chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission. A horse owner himself, Lieblong said, “I applaud Oaklawn for taking these forward-thinking steps that will help solidify Oaklawn’s status as one of the premier racing destinations in the country. They have the full support of the Racing Commission.”

Another key participant, Bill Walmsley, president of the Arkansas HBPA, added, “We began these meetings in early 2020 and continued working through the summer and into the fall. While we do not endorse every change, we do not object to any of these changes. Overall, it has been a true partnership effort, and it demonstrates why Oaklawn, the Arkansas HBPA and the Arkansas Racing Commission enjoy what I believe is the strongest working relationship in the industry.”

Oaklawn’s 2021 season runs from Friday, Jan. 22 through Saturday, May 1. Stall applications are now available on www.oaklawn.com and are due Nov. 5.

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Wicked Whisper Showed She ‘Still Wants To Play,’ Tops Saturday’s Miss Preakness Stakes

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Grade 1 winner Wicked Whisper, making just her sixth career start, looks to return to the winner's circle for the first time in nearly a year when she lines up against six rivals in the $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) Saturday, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

The 35th running of the six-furlong Miss Preakness for 3-year-old fillies is part of a Preakness Day program of 12 stakes races, seven graded, worth $2.7 million in purses featuring the $1 million Preakness (G1) for 3-year-olds and $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.

A $500,000 yearling purchase in September 2018, Wicked Whisper debuted last August at Saratoga with a popular front-running 6 ¼-length triumph. She was stepped right into stakes company by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and captured the one-mile Frizette (G1) in similar fashion at Belmont Park.

From there, Wicked Whisper ran fifth after pressing the pace in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), exiting the race with a minor leg issue. She didn't kick off her 3-year-old season until June 10, fading to be fourth behind Four Graces in the seven-furlong Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland.

“She's done well [but] she's had a couple issues. She had [one] out of the Breeders' Cup and we got that one up going and then I'll be darned if she didn't get another one on the other leg,” Alex Lieblong said. “So, we took it slow. When she ran back she ran into a very good filly but I think, knowing Steve, he probably hadn't squeezed on her much with what had happened. She seems to be over that.”

In most recent start Wicked Whisper rallied to be second by a half-length in the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks (G3), contested around two turns at unique six-furlong track. She has trained forwardly since with Asmussen's string in Saratoga.

“She ran a pretty good race over at Charles Town, especially for being a new experience running at that track. She didn't get the greatest start but almost got there,” Lieblong said. “It showed me that she still wants to play. She seems to be training very well. I haven't heard any moans or groans out of Steve, so that's a good thing.”

Joe Bravo has the mount on Wicked Whisper from Post 2. Asmussen won the Miss Preakness with Heart Ashley in 2009 and Vertical Oak in 2017.

“I don't have any excuses. It looks like there's plenty of pace in the race, but pace has never really been her problem,” Lieblong said. “Charles Town, I think, tightened her up the right way. It'll be what it is. She shouldn't have any excuses at this point.”

Nearly half the Miss Preakness field comes from Laurel Park-based trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's champion trainer three years running who entered Charles Town Oaks winner Fly On Angel, Beyond the Wire winner Princess Cadey and multiple stakes-placed Ankle Monitor.

Gonzalez claimed Fly On Angel for $50,000 in August on behalf of owner Joseph Besecker, and the Palace Malice filly immediately paid dividends with her gate-to-wire triumph in the Oaks. It was the fourth win from nine career starts for Fly On Angel, who posted splits of 22.81 and 46.25 seconds.

“She looks like she likes to go in front, so that's why I told the jockey that day to make sure she was in front,” Gonzalez said. “She's fast. She went out front and she held on. She went fast for the first half of a mile and she held it. I think the six furlongs is only going to help her.”

Angel Cruz gets the call on Fly On Angel from Post 3.

Gonzalez considered running Magic Stable's Princess Cadey in Saturday's $100,000 Hilltop, contested at one mile over the Pimlico turf, but opted to stay on dirt with the Dialed In filly who was third in the Oaks just a nose behind Wicked Whisper. Princess Cadey was second in the Wide Country that preceded her Beyond the Wire win, both coming before live racing was paused for 2 ½ months in Maryland amid the coronavirus pandemic. She is winless in four tries since racing returned, finishing sixth in the about 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss Sept. 7 at Laurel.

Princess Cadey is another Gonzalez claim, haltered for $16,000 last December. She is twice Grade 3-placed in the Charles Town and July 4 Delaware Oaks, where she was beaten less than two lengths by Black-Eyed Susan contender Project Whiskey. Weston Hamilton has the riding assignment from outside Post 7.

“When I claimed her she had run better on grass than on dirt,” Gonzalez said. “After we came back from the break, she didn't break that sharp in all her races. In the Delaware Oaks, I believe if we break good we could win the race. Then at Charles Town, if we break good we can win the race. She lost only a half-length in that race. We've been working with her to break a little better and if we can get a good position, I think we can make it.”

Magic Stable also owns Ankle Monitor, fourth in each of her past two starts, the Charles Town Oaks and Weber City Miss, beaten 5 ½ lengths combined. She has never run at six furlongs but owns wins at five and seven furlongs and one mile, and will be ridden by Victor Carrasco from Post 6.

e Five Thoroughbred Racing's Sound Machine will be making her second straight start against graded company, having run fifth to Frank's Rockette in the six-furlong Prioress (G2) Sept. 5 at Saratoga, her first race in more than six months. Another $500,000 yearling out of the September 2018 sale, the Into Mischief filly won the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman Jan. 4 and was second in the six-furlong Any Limit and House Party, all at Gulfstream Park.

“Her first race back off a layoff was a tough place to start her back, but we had to get her started. I thought she ran credibly behind some nice horses,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “This spot is not going to be easy but it's going to be probably a little easier than the last spot. She's going to ship [Tuesday] from Gulfstream and hopefully she runs her race. I think she goes in with a nice chance.”

Mundaye Call, track record-setting winner of the seven-furlong Audubon Oaks Aug. 9 at Ellis Park, and Ain't No Elmers are also entered.

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