jerry caroom | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tempt Fate, the winningest horse of the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, is scheduled to be active again during the 2021-2022 live season that begins Dec. 3, owner Jerry Caroom of Hot Springs said.

A 4-year-old Arkansas-bred son of Hamazing Destiny, Tempt Fate was 4 for 4 last season at Oaklawn (all against state-breds), including the $150,000 Nodouble Breeders' Stakes and $200,000 Arkansas Breeders' Championship Stakes in his two-turn debut at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

The speedy Tempt Fate has raced just twice since the April 30 Arkansas Breeders' Championship, finishing sixth in the $100,000 off-the-turf Chamberlain Bridge Stakes May 31 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, and fifth in his allowance comeback sprint Nov. 10 at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.

“Just tuning him back up,” said Caroom, who was Oaklawn's co-fourth-leading owner last season with 10 victories. “Almost exactly the program we did last year. He loves this track.”

Caroom said Tempt Fate will again target Oaklawn's lucrative program for Arkansas-breds. He won two allowance races last season before dipping, successfully, into stakes waters.

“Why screw up that?” Caroom said. “I hope we'll see him four times. Four wins, hopefully. His mission is to go 4-0 this year. Hoonani Road went 7-0 at this track. I want this one to do eight.”

Hoonani Road, also campaigned by Caroom, won his first seven Oaklawn starts (all against state-breds), including the $100,000 Rainbow Stakes in 2018 and the Nodouble and Arkansas Breeders' Championship in 2019. Tempt Fate ran third in the 2020 Rainbow before dominating state-bred foes in 2021.

Trainer Carl Deville, on behalf of Caroom, had claimed Tempt Fate for $40,000 out of a third-place finish in his second career start, Feb. 14, 2020, at Oaklawn.

After losing Hoonani Road to a $25,000 claim in August 2020 at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., Caroom privately purchased him shortly before the 2021 Arkansas Breeders' Championship and retired the 6-year-old gelding to a farm near Opelousas, La., where Deville's grandchildren reside.

Caroom said he could have as many as 20 horses stabled at Oaklawn in 2021-2022, mostly with Deville. Caroom could eventually have a Kentucky Oaks prospect on the grounds in Pipeline Girl, a Tom Amoss trainee who won her career debut sprinting in June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., before finishing 11th in the $400,000 Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes Oct. 8 at Keeneland in her two-turn debut. Pipeline Girl returned to finish third in a Nov. 13 allowance sprint at Churchill Downs.

“In the Alcibiades, she just completely laid an egg,” Caroom said. “The route messed her up a little bit. My strong desire is to have her here, but if she turns out that she's more suitable for the grass, then she'll stay with Amoss at Fair Grounds.”

Caroom purchased Pipeline Girl, a daughter of Air Force Blue, a multiple Group 1 winner in Europe, for $100,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The post Caroom’s Tempt Fate Returns For 2022 Oaklawn Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Hot Springs owner Jerry Caroom was seeing double late Friday afternoon at Oaklawn. In this case, it was a good thing.

Caroom capped a stellar meeting when favored Tempt Fate, under Cristian Torres, posted a two-length wire-to-wire victory in the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders' Championship Stakes for state-breds, 3 and up, at 1 1/16 miles.

It was the 10th victory this season for Caroom, who ranked fourth in the owner's standings entering Saturday's closing-day program, and pushed his purse earnings to $526,605. Much of the heavy lifting was done by Tempt Fate, who bankrolled $313,800 and became the meet's first four-time winner.

Caroom also won the inaugural Arkansas Breeders' Championship in 2019 with Hoonani Road, who, like Tempt Fate, capped a perfect Oaklawn meeting (4 for 4) with a wire-to-wire victory in his two-turn debut. Tempt Fate, a 4-year-old son of Hamazing Destiny, paid $5.80.

“It's just the luckiest thing in the world,” Caroom said in the winner's circle following the race. “Clearly, Oaklawn and what they've done here needs to be (commended). All the horsemen, we're very grateful for what the Cella family has done for racing here. Look at this? This is magnificent. This is a great place to be.”

Prior to the Arkansas Breeders' Championship, Tempt Fate won the $150,000 Nodouble Breeders' Stakes March 27 and two allowance races at the meeting (Hoonani Road did the same in 2019). Trainer Carl Deville, on behalf of Caroom, claimed Tempt Fate for $40,000 out of a third-place finish in his second career start, Feb. 14, 2020, at Oaklawn. Talk about the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

“Actually, it was 100 percent Carl Deville,” Caroom said. “I had absolutely nothing to do with it. I paid for it. So often that's the way it is. And he's fun. You see how big he is? He's like as wide as a Volkswagen.”

Deville, who broke Hoonani Road, said Tempt Fate “probably” will be freshened before making “a couple” of starts later this year. Tempt Fate collected $120,000 for his second career stakes victory, pushing his career total to $376,100. The colt is 5 for 11 overall.

Caroom said Tempt Fate can now be mentioned in the same breath as Hoonani Road, who won his first seven Oaklawn starts – all against state-breds – including the $100,000 Rainbow Stakes in 2018. Tempt Fate finished third in last year's Rainbow, but has blossomed in 2021.

“I think he's clearly there,” Caroom said. “We'll have to look, but I think he's clearly there.”

As for Hoonani Road, Caroom said he privately purchased the 5-year-old gelding last week and retired him to a farm around Opelousas, La., where Deville's grandchildren reside.

“He's got a whole other good life that's not at risk,” Caroom said. “He's retired and well taken care of and I'll get to see him periodically. We need to thank that horse as well.”

Hoonani Road did his best work for trainer Wayne Catalano before the gelding was claimed for $25,000 out of an Aug. 15, 2020, victory at Ellis Park. Hoonani Road was winless in three starts this year at Oaklawn and was claimed for $10,000 by trainer Greg Compton, an Arkansas native, April 11. The gelding finished third in what would be his final career start.

“I'm assured that the horse will be well taken care of,” Caroom said. “I paid a little premium to buy him privately. Took him and gave him a good home.”

Hoonani Road, a son of Jonesboro, retires with a 9-2-2 record from 21 lifetime starts and earnings of $499,941.

The post ‘Luckiest Thing In The World’: $40,000 Claim Tempt Fate Captures Arkansas Breeders’ Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post