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Sunday’s Insights: Hidden Scroll Gets Fresh Start for Brad Cox

8th-Gulfstream Park, $50K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, post time: 3:42 p.m. ET
RICHEBOURG (Curlin), an $800,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Alpha Delta Stable, kicks off her career for Chad Brown. Produced by a half-sister to MGISW Evening Jewel (Northern Afleet), she is a half-sister to GI Triple Bend S. winner Denman's Call (Northern Afleet). Scarlett Lace (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to ill-fated champion sprinter Points Offthebench (Benchmark), debuts for Brian Lynch. She RNA'd for $500,000 at Keeneland September. TJCIS PPs

7th-Oaklawn Park, $85K, Alw, N3L, 4yo/up, 6f, post time: 5:09 p.m. ET
'TDN Rising Star' HIDDEN SCROLL (Hard Spun) makes his highly anticipated return to the races for new connections after bringing $525,000 from Marc Detampel as a horse of racing age at last year's Keeneland November Sale. Formerly campaigned by his breeder Juddmonte Farms and trainer Bill Mott, the bay's form is highlighted by a pair of blowout, double-digit length victories and triple-digit Beyers, but little went right in his four most recent trips to the post, including a trio of turf tries in New York, finishing fifth last time at Saratoga Aug. 1. The 2019 GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. fourth-place finisher fired a four-furlong warning shot for Brad Cox in :47 2/5 (1/125) at Oaklawn Jan. 17. TJCIS PPs

8th-Oaklawn Park, $84K, Alw, N1X, 3yo, f, 6f, post time: 5:40 p.m. ET
ABROGATE (Outwork), a runaway front-running debut winner for Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs Nov. 12, takes on winners for the first time. The runner-up that day Zoom Up (Upstart) has since won two straight, including a Fair Grounds optional claimer in her two-turn debut earlier this week. The Alex and JoAnn Lieblong colorbearer, favored at 8-5 on the morning line, gets first-time Lasix. She was the co-fourth most expensive yearling of 66 from Outwork's first crop to change hands, bringing $270,000 at Keeneland September. TJCIS PPs

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Caddo River Demolishes Smarty Jones Rivals As Oaklawn Meet Begins

Breaking from the outside post in a field of seven, Shortleaf Stable's homebred Caddo River went straight to the front under Florent Geroux, set all the fractions and pulled away to a 10 1/4-length victory in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on opening day of the 2021 Oaklawn meet in Hot Springs, Ark.

Caddo River, trained by Brad Cox, paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite after traveling one-mile around two turns in 1:38.19. Cowan finished second at 2-1 odds for Steve Asmussen, with stablemate Big Thorn 7 1/4 lengths back in third and Moonlite Strike fourth.

The Smarty Jones is an official qualifying points race for the Kentucky Derby offering 10-4-2-1 points to the top four finishers. In accordance to new rules put in place for 2021, starters cannot earn qualifying points if they are administered race-day Lasix to treat exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. All seven starters in the Smarty Jones raced Lasix-free.

Updated Kentucky Derby points leaderboard

By Hard Spun out of the Congrats mare Pangburn, Caddo River came into the Smarty Jones off a 9 1/2-length maiden victory at Churchill Downs Nov. 15 going a one-turn mile. He finished second in two previous races, a seven-furlong maiden test at Saratoga Sept. 5 and a Belmont test at the same distance on Oct. 11.

Caddo River outhustled Hardly Swayed for the early lead, going the opening quarter mile in :23.12 and the half in :47.16. Going into the far turn, Caddo River began to open up and he was well in control after six furlongs in 1:12.42 and seven panels in 1:25.26. He cruised to the sixteenth pole short-stretch finish line while widening his advantage with every stride.

“He broke very alertly,” said Geroux. “Very nice and relaxed. You want to see these type horses doing it the right way. It's easy to go to the lead and keep on going. You want them to relax and do everything right. He did everything perfect. The distance doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. Very excited about what's coming up ahead of us with him. Looks like he can run all day, which is a good problem. Hopefully, we can go on, go up the stepping stones and have a nice horse for the first Saturday in May.”

John Ed Anthony, a Hot Springs resident who races in the name of Shortleaf Stable, has won the G1 Arkansas Derby on three occasions, with Temperence Hill in 1980, Demons Begone in 1987 and Pine Bluff in 1992. With Caddo River likely headed down the path to the April 10 renewal of the meet's biggest race, he could be in line for a fourth.

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Hard Spun Rising Star Romps in Smarty Jones

Caddo River (Hard Spun) made good on his 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation at third asking with a facile first stakes score in Oaklawn's Smarty Jones S., good for 10 points on the Road to the GI Kentucky Derby.

Away well from his outside post, the 3-5 chalk seized the early advantage and clocked an unpressured opening quarter in :23.12 and a half in :47.16. Extending clear with ease on the backstretch run, the bay rolled home the easiest of winners under a hand ride from Florent Geroux.

Caddo River was second in his first two attempts at seven furlongs, debuting at Saratoga Sept. 5 and next out at Belmont Oct. 11. He took the field from gate to wire next out in a powerhouse performance going a mile at Churchill Nov. 15, romping by 9 1/2 lengths, defeating future Dania Beach S. winner Kentucky Pharoah (American Pharoah), among others.

“He broke very alertly,” Geroux said. “Very nice and relaxed. You want to see these type horses doing it the right way. It's easy to go to the lead and keep on going. You want them to relax and do everything right. He did everything perfect. The distance doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. Very excited about what's coming up ahead of us with him. Looks like he can run all day, which is a good problem. Hopefully, we can go on, go up the stepping stones and have a nice horse for the first Saturday in May.”

The victor, named for a river in Arkansas, has a 2-year-old half-sister by Into Mischief named Como Square and his thrice graded stakes-placed dam produced a Nyquist colt in 2020 before being bred back to Hard Spun. Second dam It's True Love was a SW as well and is responsible for recent GIII Allaire DuPont S. winner Eres Tu (Malibu Moon).

SMARTY JONES S., $150,000, Oaklawn, 1-22, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.19, ft.
1–CADDO RIVER, 115, c, 3, by Hard Spun
1st Dam: Pangburn (SW & MGSP, $338,480), by Congrats
2nd Dam: It's True Love, by Yes It's True
3rd Dam: Lovin Spoonful, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Shortleaf Stable
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $90,000. Lifetime
Record: 4-2-2-0, $166,092.
2–Cowan, 115, c, 3, Kantharos–Tempers Flair, by Smart Strike.
($185,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $385,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR).
O-L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables LLC &
Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc (KY);
T-Steven M. Asmussen. $30,000.
3–Big Thorn, 117, c, 3, The Big Beast–Save a Rose, by Super
Saver. O/B-Alex & JoAnn Lieblong (FL); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$15,000.
Margins: 10 1/4, 7 1/4, NK. Odds: 0.60, 2.40, 12.40.
Also Ran: Moonlite Strike, Martini Blu, Hardly Swayed, Lawlessness.

Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Knicks Go Headlines Pegasus World Cup

Knicks Go (Paynter) rides a red-hot streak, including a career high in the Breeders' Cup, into Saturday's $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream, in which he was installed as the morning-line favorite. An upset winner of the GI Breeders' Futurity S. back in 2018, the gray was transferred from trainer Ben Colebrook to Brad Cox at the end of a disappointing 2019 season. Romping by 7 1/2 lengths in his debut for Cox in an Oaklawn optional claimer Feb. 22, the Korea Racing Authority colorbearer was sidelined with a knee chip following that effort and underwent surgery. Knicks Go returned to the track better than ever, demolishing a Keeneland optional claimer by 10 1/4 lengths Oct. 4, earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, and followed suit with a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 7, for which he registered a 108 Beyer.

“I'm a big believer that speed is good at a mile and an eighth and beyond–obviously it depends on how much other speed is in the race,” said trainer Brad Cox. “But I think he can get it. I think he's a horse that once he gets free and loose, he runs with a lot of confidence. I'm excited. I really do think he'll handle a mile and an eighth. In his three races with us last year, there was horse left. In the Breeders' Cup, Joel [Rosario] reached up and grabbed him four or five jumps from the wire, so he was still going.”

Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) looks to return to winning ways in this event after several on-the-board efforts. Victor of the 2019 GI Runhappy Travers S., the WS Farish homebred kicked off 2020 with a victory in the GIII Westchester S. June 6 and rallied for third next out in the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. July 4. Fourth in the GI Whitney S. Aug. 1, the chestnut checked in second in the Oct. 3 GII Kelso H. at Belmont and the Nov. 27 GI Clark S. last time at Churchill Downs.

Tax (Arch) will try to make amends for a sub-par effort in last year's Pegasus. Capturing the 2019 GII Jim Dandy S., he was benched after a seventh in Code of Honor's Travers. Returning with a second behind that rival's barnmate Performer (Speightstown) in the GIII Discovery S. at the end of 2019, the gelding failed to fire in last term's Pegasus, finishing a non-factor ninth. Fifth when next seen in the May 2 GII Oaklawn H., the dark bay hit the sidelines again and returned with a dominant victory in this venue's GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Dec. 12.

“He's better now than he's ever been,” said trainer Danny Gargan. “We always knew he was a really good horse. He's grown and developed into a better horse than he was last year. I think with age he's getting better and getting stronger, healthier. He has a few little issues we had to work through, and he's gotten through them. I'm expecting a big performance.”

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