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Unbeaten Argentine Star La Renoleta Returns Saturday At Oaklawn Park

When the racing world last saw Argentine-bred star La Renoleta, she was crushing allowance opponents early last year at Oaklawn in an audition for one of the country's biggest two-turn races for older fillies and mares.

Then, there was an injury. Now, there's a comeback.

Unbeaten La Renoleta (5 for 5) is scheduled to make her first start in over a year in Saturday's seventh race at Oaklawn, a 1-mile allowance, for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

After winning her first four career starts in Argentina, including the Estrellas Distaff (Gr. 1) in June 2019 – her last race in South America – La Renoleta was privately purchased by Kentucky bloodstock agent Peter Bradley III (Bradley Thoroughbreds) and sent to Asmussen in the United States.

La Renoleta resurfaced in a Feb. 8, 2020, allowance race at 1 1/16 miles and was a 9 ¾-length winner under perennial Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr., earning a solid 89 Beyer Speed Figure in her American debut. Bradley said La Renoleta was being considered for Oaklawn's $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) when a minor soft-tissue injury was discovered, prompting a lengthy break from racing.

“While it wasn't career ending, it was one of those things that took a long time to come around,” Bradley said Thursday morning. “We gave her every bit of time she needed, so it looks like she's back on top of her game and we can't wait for her to run this weekend.”

Bradley assembles racing partnerships, or racing ventures, focusing primarily on fillies. After dipping into South America to privately purchase Chilean-bred filly Dacita, who became a multiple Grade 1 winner in the United States for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, Bradley said he began tracking La Renoleta in June 2019 before finalizing a deal roughly three months later.

A 6-year-old daughter of grass standout Treasure Beach (a Grade 1 winner in the United States and Group 1 winner in Europe), La Renoleta will again be running at Oaklawn following a lengthy layoff. Bradley said retirement was never seriously considered following her injury, adding four months of recovery stretched to seven out of caution.

“There was a hemorrhage along with it, that made it look worse,” Bradley said. “Essentially, we just wanted to be extra careful and we took some time. Knock on wood, it's paid off. We may have even overreacted a little bit, but that's OK. We wanted to make sure she's 100 percent. That's what we have right now.”

Bradley said La Renoleta resumed training around New Year's Day. The mare has seven published workouts at Oaklawn since March 10 in advance of her 2021 debut.

“We figured she would be ready for a spring/summer campaign,” Bradley said. “We hoped we could have been ready early in the Oaklawn meet and could have made a decision on the Apple Blossom. There's two ways you find out if a horse is ready to run. The horses tell you and then Steve tells you.”

Mexican champion Letruska won last Saturday's $1 million Apple Blossom (G1), nosing out two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl. La Renoleta's allowance race is an “extra,” meaning it wasn't in the condition book and is a substitute race written by Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope. Bradley said Saturday's comeback spot isn't a prep for something specific, just a gateway to, hopefully, graded stakes events this summer.

“We always hope to do that with them, if they look like they've got this type of talent,” Bradley said. “Again, one step at a time. We've got this race Saturday. After that, we'll see. If she runs up to our expectations, we'll most probably look for a stakes race. If it turns out that she needs a race, we'll go to Plan B. I would hope that some races at Saratoga would be in her future this summer, some of their top races.”

Co-owners of La Renoleta are Swift Thoroughbreds Inc. (Mark Mache), Paul Braverman and Tim and Anna Cambron. Bradley, in partnership, won the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares in 2019 at Oaklawn with the Asmussen-trained She's a Julie.

La Renoleta is the 8-5 program favorite for Saturday's seventh race at Oaklawn, which carries a $107,000 purse. Probable post time is 4:04 p.m. (Central).

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Cross Country Pick 5 Features Opening Weekend At Belmont Park, Action From Oaklawn

The New York Racing Association Inc. [NYRA] will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring racing from the first weekend of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, along with action from Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

A full field of 12 maidens 3-years-old and up competing at 1 1/16 miles on the Widener turf course will start the sequence in Belmont's Race 6 at 3:34 p.m. Eastern. Mandatory has finished in the money in four of his five career starts, posting a 0-2-2 record, including earning a field-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure for a runner-up last out on March 14 at Aqueduct Racetrack for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The Todd Pletcher-trained Shaftesbury, a $675,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, has finished second in three consecutive starts, all at Gulfstream Park, and is 7-2 on the morning line.

Oaklawn will get in on the fun with a six-furlong starter allowance race for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs in Race 5 at 3:54 p.m. Sevier, 3-1 for trainer Coty Rosin, won his last two races at Oaklawn and will look for a third consecutive win. Greeley and Ben, trained by Karl Broberg, and I Belong to Becky both are listed at 7-2.

The sequence alternates back to Belmont with a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer contest for 4-year-olds and up in Race 7 at 4:08 p.m. The Chad Brown trained Looking At Bikinis will be making his first start of 2021, returning off a five-month break. Looking At Bikinis, who ran 11th in the 2019 Grade 1 Travers and fourth in that year's Grade 1 Cigar Mile, will be racing for just the third time since 2020 but is 2-1 on the morning line. The New York-bred T Loves a Fight will be making his 50th career start, listed at 15-1 for trainer Orlando Noda.

A full field of a dozen 3-year-olds and up will contest Oaklawn's sixth race, a six-furlong claiming contest, at 4:29 p.m. Balandeen, at 3-1 on the morning line, has finished in third in his last three races for trainer Juan Cano. Unscathed, listed at 9-2 for conditioner Genaro Garcia, also ran third last out in a claiming contest, finishing in the money in April at Oaklawn going the same distance as Saturday's race.

Belmont will wrap up the Cross County Pick 5 with the sequence's only stakes, as eight 4-year-olds and up will square off in the $100,000 Elusive Quality going seven furlongs on the Widener turf course. Eight-time stakes winner Therapist will look to win his seasonal debut for the third consecutive year and is listed at 7-2 for trainer Christophe Clement. Brown will send out three contenders in the eight-horse field, including 2-1 favorite Front Run the Fed, along with 4-1 Value Proposition and 12-1 selection Seismic Wave.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, April 22:
Leg A: Belmont– Race 6 (3:34 p.m.)
Leg B: Oaklawn – Race 5 (3:54 p.m.)
Leg C: Belmont – Race 7 (4:08 p.m.)
Leg D: Oaklawn – Race 6 (4:29 p.m.)
Leg E: Belmont – Race 8 Elusive Quality (4:40 p.m.)

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Aidan Green Celebrates Her First Stakes Winner At Oaklawn Park

Aidan Green has made a name for herself this year at Oaklawn. Emphasis on “her.”

In what has become a running joke, Green noted that some people have praised the trainer for “his” snowballing success during the 51-day meeting that ends May 1. Perhaps, the confusion abated somewhat last Friday when Green saddled her first career stakes winner (Blame J D) in the $150,000 Rainbow for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred sprinters.

“I hope so,” Green, 33, said with a laugh. “That might have been the win to do it.”

The Rainbow marked the eighth career winner for Green – all this year at Oaklawn – and placed her in a tie for 11th in the local standings through Sunday. She also had five seconds and seven thirds from just 31 starters.

Green began the meeting with four horses, but her stable has grown to approximately 10 through claims. Green saddled her first career winner recognized by Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization, Feb. 11 with one-time Triple Crown hopeful Kristo. It was the 21st recognized starter for Green, who saddled her first horse in 2020, according to Equibase.

Green's unquestioned star is Blame J D, a gelded son of champion Blame for local breeder/owner James W. Matheney Jr. Blame J D has a 2-0-1 record in four career starts at the meeting and bankrolled $155,050.

“He's as good as I've had so far,” Green said. “As an Arkie-bred, he hasn't shown any weaknesses, really.”

Blame J D was broken by Green's husband/assistant, Ike Green, who has 98 career training victories, the last coming in 2014, according to Equibase. Green also unearthed and broke multiple Grade 1 winner and 2018 Triple Crown hopeful Bolt d'Oro when working for former business associate Mick Ruis.

Green assisted trainer Robertino Diodoro the last two years at Oaklawn, helping him capture his first local title in 2020 and Diodoro's major client, M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk), set a single-season Oaklawn record for victories by an owner with 61 in 2019. Green, among other things, also breaks horses for a local pinhooking group and hauls horses for M and M.

Aidan Green's high winning percentage coincides with having three young children, handling administrative issues for Diodoro (licensing, reservations, etc.) and dabbling in professional photography (she's booked four weddings this year).

“Kids and horses, that's all we do,” Ike Green said. “That's it.”

Aidan Green grew up in Canada around Quarter-Horses and draft horses her family owned and was a star volleyball player. She signed with Texas Tech before transferring to Texas-El Paso, where she was a four-year letterman (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009). Green said she met her future husband in 2010 when he was training at Sunland Park in suburban El Paso. They married in 2013 and have three children – Olivia, 5; Owen, 4; and Oakley, 6 months.

As many races as Aidan Green has won this year at Oaklawn, it might seem like she's raising her kids in the Larry Snyder Winner's Circle. Normally after each victory, Green has her picture taken holding Oakley, with Olivia and Owen standing directly behind her on a platform.

“Our kids are pretty infamous back here, but anybody outside of the backside probably doesn't know or think that I have three,” Green said. “The other day, Olivia and Owen were standing on the edge of the paddock rail and this lady walked up and said, 'Where is your guys' mom?' And they're like, 'In there.' She thought they were on their own.”

If she's not saddling a horse or visiting the winner's circle, you might see Aidan Green, between races, carrying Oakley or pushing him in a stroller. The spirited Olivia and Owen could be racing or playing on the first floor of the grandstand or grandstand apron, often interacting with Diodoro and some of his employees.

“Don't get wrong, they're good kids,” Diodoro said. “But they're wild suckers. They're not the typical kids, get them up early and make them play and then they'll get a nap. They've got energized batteries in them. I've never seen kids like this. They might get a little cranky, but they don't stop. It's just, 'Go. Go. Go.' It's nuts.”

Diodoro calls Ike Green, 41, “a very good horseman” and said his wife possesses the organizational skills of a “computer.” The Greens, in the past few years, have overseen divisions for Diodoro at Churchill Downs and Saratoga before opting to focus more on developing their own stock.

Aidan Green said Team Green is a Team effort.

“It wouldn't really matter either way, if they ran in Ike's name,” Aidan Green said. “He was going to do more the baby side of things on the farm and we didn't want any conflict of interest, Diodoro and Ike, since he was his assistant. We just went this way and I'm loving it. I really am. We always laugh that when I first started dating Ike, I said: 'I hire, I fire and I pay' because you're up at the track all morning and I'm at the barn and they don't listen to me if you pay them. That was our rule. We've come a long way since then.”

Except that part about Aidan being a “she” and not a “he.” Green pointed to a well-known national horse racing podcast as a recent comical example.

“My nephew was laughing at one video because he said they talked like they know you, but then they still call you a guy,” Green said. “One guy said, 'A lot of you don't know this about Aidan Green, but he is young and he is striving.' Somebody commented: 'You know, that's a girl, right?' ”

The Greens keep broodmares on their eight-acre farm about 15 minutes southwest of Oaklawn. Ike Green said they'll likely remain in the Hot Springs area this summer and send a handful of horses to his brother, trainer Greg Green, at Lone Star Park.

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‘We’ve Always Loved His Talent’: Silver State Turning To Gold For Asmussen

Two of the best horses developed by Steve Asmussen for Winchell Thoroughbreds came to the Hall of Fame trainer on the advice of David Lambert. Silver State hasn't reached championship status yet, but the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun continued his climb toward the top of the country's older two-turn division with a half-length victory in the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) last Saturday at Oaklawn under Ricardo Santana Jr.

The victory was the fifth consecutive for Silver State, who became the first horse to win the Oaklawn Handicap – Oaklawn's biggest prize for older two-turn runners – $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes at 1 mile and the $500,000 Essex Handicap at 1 1/16 miles. The latter two races, Jan. 23 and March 13, respectively, were major local steppingstones to the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap.

Asmussen said on the recommendation of Lambert, a noted equine physiologist, Winchell Thoroughbreds (Ron and Joan Winchell) purchased Silver State for $450,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sales. Lambert, founder and president of Equine Analysis Systems in Midway, Ky., also steered the Winchells toward privately purchasing half-interest in Gun Runner and retaining homebred Untapable to race. Both became Eclipse Award winners.

Now, silver is turning to gold for the Winchells, who campaign Silver State with prominent Arkansas breeder/owner Willis Horton.

“It's a horse the Hortons and Winchells purchased on Dr. Lambert's advice, that has continued to develop and get better,” Asmussen said. “We've always loved his talent level.”

Silver State earned a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 101, equaling a career high, for his Oaklawn Handicap victory. After falling off the Kentucky Derby trail following a seventh-place finish in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) in March 2020 at Fair Grounds, Silver State returned with two sharp allowance victories last fall in Kentucky before emerging as Oaklawn's top older two-turn runner this year. His Beyer Speed Figures, a numerical representation of performance, have ranged from 97 to 101, during the winning streak. Asmussen calls Silver State, “a gorgeous animal” who needed time to develop because he's “massive in size.”

“This race is significant enough,” Asmussen said. “He'll get the future we were hoping for, and this proves it.”

Asmussen said next-race plans are pending for Silver State, who won for the sixth time in 10 lifetime starts. Silver State ($1,230,094) became a millionaire after collecting the $600,000 winning check.

It was the first Oaklawn Handicap victory for Asmussen and the Winchells and the second for Horton, who also won the race in 2014 with champion Will Take Charge. Horton turned 81 last Saturday.

“The Hortons owning half this horse with the Winchells and how important Oaklawn is to them, the Hortons are to Oaklawn, what a great birthday present for him today,” Asmussen said.

The Oaklawn Handicap was Asmussen's record 95th Oaklawn stakes victory. Asmussen also won the $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares in 2015 with Untapable and the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses in 2017 with Gun Runner. Untapable won an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2014. Gun Runner captured two Eclipse Awards (Horse of the Year and older dirt male) in 2017.

Asmussen has a meet-high 49 victories this year as he seeks his record-tying 11th Oaklawn training title. The Oaklawn Handicap pushed his purse earnings at the meet to more than $5 million. He enters the final eight racing days at $5,072,636 and with a chance to break his single-season Oaklawn record ($5,644,609), set in 2019.

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