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‘Amazing’ 9-Year-Old Rated R Superstar Could Make Fifth Start In Upcoming Razorback

Danny Caldwell recorded his second career Oaklawn stakes victory Saturday and he used an old script to do it.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Oaklawn's four-time leading owner said. “That's probably not been done much.”

Caldwell struck again with millionaire Rated R Superstar ($53.80), who collared front-running Mucho on the outside near the wire to win the one-mile race for older horses by a neck under David Cabrera. Caldwell also won the 2017 Fifth Season with another 9-year-old gelding, Domain's Rap, who, like Rated R Superstar, was making his seasonal debut in the race.

On behalf of Caldwell, trainer Federico Villafranco claimed Domain's Rap and Rated R Superstar for $10,000 and $50,000, respectively, the latter coming last January at Oaklawn.

“I was actually thinking about an allowance race for him this time, bringing him back off a layoff,” Caldwell said. “But he was doing so good and Freddy told me: 'He's doing as good as he's ever been doing in our barn, coming off the layoff.' He was fresh and seemed like he was ready.”

Rated R Superstar hadn't started since finishing second in a Sept. 11 allowance race at Remington Park. Caldwell said the gelding came out of the race with a minor splint bone issue, necessitating a short break from training. Rated R Superstar had five published workouts since Dec. 2, the last two coming at Oaklawn, in advance of the Fifth Season.

Last entering the backstretch, Rated R Superstar zoomed past most of the field along the rail to reach contention at the half-mile pole. Rated R Superstar had to wait briefly on the second turn before Cabrera guided the gelding to the outside, three-wide, approaching the quarter-pole. Rated R Superstar wore down a stubborn Mucho in the short run to the wire (mile races at Oaklawn begin and end at the sixteenth pole).

Rated R Superstar's winning time of 1:37.16 was the fastest since the Fifth Season was shortened from 1 1/16 miles to a mile in 2020, when the race was split. Rated R Superstar ran sixth in the second division in 2020. The track was fast Saturday.

“The pace set up well for us and he's a late runner,” Caldwell said. “David made a good move on the backside here to get him up in there. We didn't want to get shuffled back and end up going 15-wide. So, he made that move up the rail and I'm thinking, 'I hope we didn't move too quick.' But I could tell he still had some horse. Luckily, they kept going and we had an opportunity down the stretch to run them down.”

The victory was the 10th in 57 lifetime starts for Rated R Superstar and raised his career earnings to $1,271,014. He is a five-time stakes winner.

Rated R Superstar has been an ATM throughout his lengthy career, bankrolling $518,367 and becoming a multiple Grade 3 winner in his first 30 starts for trainer Kenny McPeek. Rated R Superstar made 18 starts for trainer Cipriano Contreras after being claimed for $62,500 in November 2018 at Churchill Downs.

Highlighted by a victory in the $350,000 Essex Handicap for older horses in 2019 at Oaklawn, the gelding earned $363,656 before Contreras lost him to Caldwell almost a year ago. In nine starts for Caldwell and Villafranco, Rated R Superstar has made $388,991 and posted three victories, including the $175,000 Governor's Cup Stakes Aug. 20 at Remington Park.

“Amazing,” Caldwell said.

Oaklawn's two-turn stakes series for older horses continues with the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 12. Rated R Superstar has already started four times in the Razorback, finishing sixth for McPeek in 2018, third for Contreras in 2019, seventh for Contreras in 2020 and fifth for Villafranco last year.

“We'll see,” Caldwell said of another potential Razorback start. “He'll tell us.”

Rated R Superstar is a son of 2008 Oaklawn allowance winner and 2009 champion sprinter Kodiak Kowboy.

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Veteran Rated R Superstar Springs 25-1 Upset In Fifth Season

The 9-year-old gelding Rated R Superstar proved age is just a number in Saturday's $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park, springing a 25-1 upset with his neck triumph over pacesetting Mucho (7-1). The victory brought a bit of déjà vu for owner Danny Caldwell, who sent out Domain's Rap to win the 2017 edition of the Fifth Season when that gelding was nine years old. Both geldings are trained by Federico Villafranco.

“Just because they're eight or nine years old, doesn't mean they can't still run,” Caldwell said from the winner's circle.

Rated R Superstar was making his first start since September, and made a mid-race move from off-the-pace under jockey David Cabrera. Finding clear racing room in the center of the stretch, the son of Kodiak Kowboy ran down Mucho to complete a mile over the fast main track in 1:37.16. Thomas Shelby checked in third.

Sent to post as the 3-2 favorite, 2021 Rebel Stakes winner Concert Tour appeared to struggle around the far turn and was eased under the wire by jockey Joel Rosario. It was the colt's first start since the Preakness, as well as his first since being transferred to trainer Brad Cox.

Mucho, making his first start around two turns, went straight to the lead in the Fifth Season, pulling away to lead by as much as 1 1/2 lengths in the early going. Concert Tour was right there in second, tracking through fractions of 23.33 and 46.91 seconds, while Thomas Shelby came up the rail to join him down the backstretch.

Cabrera found a seam at the rail and sent Rated R Superstar through it midway down the backstretch, and brought the gelding into third on the inside. Thomas Shelby was challenging Mucho for the lead, while Concert Tour dropped back. Mucho repelled Thomas Shelby, but there was another challenger yet to come.

Swinging to the outside, Rated R Superstar saw the finish line and laid his ears back, eating up ground in the center of the track. Cabrera hit the wire a neck in front on Rated R Superstar, with Mucho and jockey Florent Geroux having to settle for second. Thomas Shelby was a close-up third, while it was several lengths back to Necker Island in fourth.

The remaining order of finish was: Silver Prospector, Snapper Sinclair, Atoka, Long Range Toddy, and Concert Tour.

Bred in Kentucky by Thorndale Stable L.L.C., Rated R Superstar was a $50,000 claim last January at Oaklawn. He's compiled a record of three wins, three seconds, and a third from nine starts for his new connections.

Rated R Superstar has significant back-class: he ran second in the G3 Iroquois and third in the G1 Breeders' Futurity in 2015, won the G3 Carry Back in 2016, the G3 Ben Ali in 2018, the $350,000 Essex in 2019, and the $175,000 Governor's Cup in 2021. Overall, the gelding has won 10 races from 57 starts and earned $1,271,014

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Fox Hill Farm’s Rick Porter Dies At Age 80

It is with tremendous sadness that Fox Hill Farm informs the Thoroughbred industry of the passing of owner Rick Porter at the age of 80.

Rick had battled cancer in various forms for over two decades. The past six years had been particularly taxing, beating one supposed terminal cancer only to eventually succumb to the toll the fight took on him.

Horse racing was one of Rick's passions, and he was very proud of his stable's accomplishments. His Fox Hill Farm campaigned 20 graded stakes horses and multiple champions led by Havre de Grace, Songbird, Hard Spun, Omaha Beach, and Kodiak Kowboy.

Equally noteworthy as his list of outstanding horses, however, was his outstanding stewardship over his stable. His horses' well-being was always his top priority over any trophy. He believed in transparency, sharing vet reports publicly and being open with injuries and considerations regarding stable management. He encouraged fan interaction, making them feel part of the team. He welcomed the challenge of the best meeting the best on the track, resulting in some of the most memorable match-ups of the past decades. His empathy for horses in need led to the founding of the National Thoroughbred Welfare Organization which has rehomed over 250 at-risk horses in the past few years. His Fox Hill Farm became synonymous with excellence and ethical ownership.

As wonderful as Rick's journey was in racing, it was his journey through life with his beloved Betsy that was all-important to him. Married 59 years, they raised two sons Cory and Scott and a daughter Tracey, all as beautiful in spirit as the examples they had in their parents.

Racing has lost an important owner, but for all of us who knew Rick – his kindness, ethics, loyalty, wisdom, generosity, humility, and humor – we have lost an exceptional human being and a part of our hearts.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Victoria Keith

Fox Hill Farm

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C.R. Trout Could Make History In Friday’s Oklahoma Classics Cup

Oklahoma-bred millionaire Shotgun Kowboy won the Oklahoma Classics Cup four times for breeder-owner-trainer C.R. Trout, including the last three years in a row.

The 8-year-old gelded son of Kodiak Kowboy, out of the Siphon (BRZ) mare Shotgun Jane, still comes to the track just about every morning at Remington Park and is the best looking horse in Trout's barn. However, Shotgun Kowboy will not be running in Friday's $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup, a race he won in 2015 and then 2017-19. Shotgun Kowboy is now retired, after incurring an injury during training earlier this year at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

“We let him (Shotgun Kowboy), with my assistant Dan Ortiz up on him, accompany the horses I'm working in the mornings and he looks fantastic,” said Trout, who earned $1,548,684 by racing this horse from 2014-19. “I don't think I've ever seen him look better. It is tempting to bring him back to training and racing, but that injury was pretty bad.”

Trout of Edmond, Okla., is one win away from being the all-time winningest owner and trainer of the Classics Cup. He has taken the trophy home six times as an owner, tying him with John and Barbara Smicklas, and six times as a trainer, placing him in a tie with Donnie Von Hemel.

It would mean a great deal to Trout to be the top owner and trainer in Cup history by winning this race on Friday: “It certainly would be exciting. Anyone would like to reach that goal.”

This year, Trout's Cup hopes lie with Fast Breakin Cash, one of eight horses entered for the 2020 edition. A 4-year-old gelded son of Yes It's True, out of the Forestry mare Fast N Fine Lookin, Fast Breakin Cash will pick up the baton for the Trout barn. Trout also won the Classics Cup with Imahit in 2013-14.

“Imahit's first win in the Cup was probably the most exciting for me,” Trout said. “We were stretching him out from sprints to a route and he responded in kind. It's great when you do that and it works. As far as this year's race goes, I like my chances. We're not scared of anybody in there.”

Trout is trying to do a similar thing that he did with Imahit. Fast Breakin Cash has run 13 times and 12 of those races were sprints. He could have gone into the Oklahoma Classics Sprint except for one thing.

“Oh, we've tried him against Welder already,” Trout said.

That is good enough reason to stretch him out around two turns to the 1-1/16th miles for the Cup. He was a respectable third to Welder in last year's Oklahoma Classics Sprint, beaten only 4-1/4 lengths by the two-time Oklahoma Horse of the Year. The one race where he did negotiate a route of ground was the $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes here last year at one mile, and he ran second, beaten only 1-3/4 lengths by Cowboy Mischief.

“Oh, he's bred to go as far as you want him to go,” said Trout.

To win another Classics Cup and establish a record for most wins in the race would be satisfying but also bittersweet for Trout, who is competing on this night for the first time without his wife Arletta, who passed away Nov. 24, 2019.

“When you live with someone more than 50 years, it's just not going to be the same,” he said. “She was not only my wife, but she was also my best friend. I will have my whole family here, but it still won't be like having your best buddy that's always been here.”

Here's a look at the field with post position, jockey, trainer and odds:

1) Dont Tell Noobody: Sophie Doyle, Federico Villafranco, 15-1

2) Georgia Deputy: Ezequiel Lara, Joe Petalino, 20-1

3) United Patriot: Lori Biehler, Michael Biehler, 10-1

4) Rowdy Yates: Stewart Elliott, Steve Asmussen, 2-1 (morning-line favorite)

5) Fast Breakin Cash: Luis Quinonez, C.R. Trout, 5-1

6) Dak Da Man: Lane Luzzi, Kari Craddock, 6-1

7) Kwik: David Cabrera, Karl Broberg, 10-1

8) Deal Driven: Ramon Vazquez, Robert Mosco, 5-2

Remington Park racing continues Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 15-17, this week with Friday being Oklahoma Classics Night featuring the top Oklahoma-breds in divisional stakes competition worth $1 million. The first race nightly is at 7:07pm-Central.

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