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Thursday’s Insights: Ashland Runner-Up Punchbowl Returns at Keeneland

5th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 3:08 p.m. ET
Gold Square's AIR OF DEFIANCE (Quality Road), a $400,000 Keeneland September purchase, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite after running a solid second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) over a muddy strip at Saratoga in his six-furlong debut Aug. 25. The Brad Cox trainee is the second foal out of graded stakes winner Faypien (Ghostzapper). St. Elias and Starlight Racing's It'smyluckytime (Not This Time), a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, makes his first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher. Also debuting is Taylor Creek's Anthem King (Bolt d'Oro), a $300,000 Keeneland September yearling trained by Brian Lynch. Eddie Kenneally saddles Buck Pond Farm's homebred firster Justifreak (Justify), a half-brother to graded winner Fancy Dress Party (Munnings). Legion Racing's Popweiser (Nyquist), debuting for Wayne Catalano, is a half-brother to Grade I winner Search Results (Flatter). He was a $100,000 acquisition at this year's OBS April sale. TJCIS PPS

6th-KEE, $120K, OC 80k/N2X, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 3:40 p.m.
Gary and Mary West's homebred PUNCHBOWL (Uncle Mo) opened her career with a pair of wins at Oaklawn Park this winter and put her name in the mix for the GI Kentucky Oaks with a runner-up effort in the GI Ashland S. She has not been seen since that Apr. 7 race over this same track and distance and returns here as the 4-5 morning-line favorite. The Wests will also have fellow Brad Cox trainee Insignia (Curlin) in the race. The 4-year-old filly, a daughter of multiple graded placed Keep the Peace (Touch Gold), has hit the board in all five of her races to date. TJCIS PPS

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Tyler Baze Wins for First Time Since April after Life-Threatening Bowel Obstruction

Jockey Tyler Baze, the Eclipse-winning outstanding apprentice jockey of 2000 who now sports 2,889 wins, returned from a major health scare with his first visit to the winner's circle since Apr. 14 at Oaklawn Park.

“I needed it,” Baze told the Santa Anita notes team Friday morning at Clocker's Corner. “It took a lot for me to get to this point after being in the hospital and almost dying.”

Baze was hospitalized for about two weeks in Arkansas after that last win at Oaklawn with severe pain as doctors sought to diagnose the problem. They finally determined he had a bowel obstruction and quickly sent him to surgery.

“It was my intestine. I literally was colicking like a horse,” Baze said. “They didn't have to cut any out. They untangled it basically. The doctor's words were 'We had to remold it.'”

After 10 days recovering in the hospital, he returned to his home in California. He was told he would require 8-10 months to recover, but was back in the gym in eight weeks and rode his first race back at Del Mar Sept. 9. His first winner since the return came at the current Santa Anita meet in Monday's fourth race in a $50,000 maiden claimer going six furlongs on Lonesome Stew (Grazen) for trainer Mark Glatt.

Baze is slated to ride seven races at Santa Anita this coming weekend.

“Now with the winner, hopefully things will pick up and I'll get on better horses,” Baze said. “But this whole ordeal has given me a whole new perspective. I'm only here for a minute. I'm going to enjoy it.”

Baze continued: “It's no longer going through the motions. You realize how precious life is. Instead of just getting through your morning or through the day, you need to enjoy every minute of it. I get to be out here and look at these beautiful mountains and watch the sun come up every morning. It's an amazing gift from God.”

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Oaklawn Names Dinerman Track Announcer

Oaklawn Jockey Club in Hot Springs named Matt Dinerman as the new track announcer for the upcoming Thoroughbred racing season, which begins December 8, the organization said in a release early Friday morning.

Dinerman, 31, comes to Hot Springs following a six-year stint as the track announcer at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California. He has also served as track announcer at the Sonoma County Fair meet in Santa Rosa, California, for the past two years.

“I'm honored to be selected for such a prestigious role, following in the footsteps of some very talented announcers,” said Dinerman. “Oaklawn has tremendous racing with great field sizes, outstanding connections, top quality horses, and great purses. I look forward to my interaction with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable fan base and being part of the Oaklawn family.”

A native of San Diego and graduate of Chapman University, Dinerman grew up attending races at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club near his home. While in high school, he worked as a stablehand for trainer John Sadler and later served as part of the Del Mar Publicity Department. In 2015, he was hired as the track announcer at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington, becoming one of the sport's youngest announcers.

Among his career high points, Dinerman points to his calling of the 2021 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields, which was won by the eventual Preakness winner that year, Rombauer.

“We are excited to welcome Matt Dinerman to our racing team at Oaklawn,” said Wayne Smith, General Manager of Oaklawn. “He brings a passion and high-energy style to the announcer's booth that builds anticipation at each turn and reaches an exciting climax down the stretch and across the finish line. Oaklawn fans will be entertained and informed by Matt's style.”

Dinerman has also worked in racing media, having served as a television racing analyst, and as a blogger by posting race analysis, making selections, and offering wagering strategies.

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Oaklawn’s Purse Growth Continues

The largest purse increase in Oaklawn Park history was unveiled in a release Wednesday by the track. Purse distribution for the upcoming 2023-2024 season is set for $60 million, which amounts to a $10 million or 20% increase over last season's record-setting $50 million distribution.

The average daily purses will top $900,000 when the season starts on Dec. 8. Purses for allowance races will be $140,000–$145,000, maiden special weights will be $115,000 and the minimum purse on any race will be $30,000.

“Let me put this in perspective,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “Our season purses will be three times greater than they were just 10 years ago. And we've made sure it's been across all levels of our racing product.”

Cella credits the record purses to the racing-gaming model the track has developed over the last 20 years and to a massive $100 million expansion project that was recently completed.

“We are proving that racing and gaming not only can co-exist, but they can actually enhance each other,” Cella added. “And we're really seeing it now that we've finished our luxury trackside hotel, events center and spa.”

In conjunction with record purses, Oaklawn and the Arkansas HBPA will again offer participation bonuses to owners and trainers. Owners will receive $200 for every starter during the season. Trainers will receive $250 for any starter that does not finish first, second or third.

“We worked with Oaklawn to launch this program a year ago,” said HBPA President Bill Walmsley. “And I've heard nothing but positive comments from horsemen.”

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