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Tohill, 57, Eyes 4,000-Win Milestone With Detour To Oaklawn

Ken Tohill enters 2021 chasing a career milestone. That chase begins at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., where the veteran jockey will be riding regularly for the second time after winning 22 races from 172 mounts in 2014 to tie for seventh in the standings.

According to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization, Tohill, 57, entered Saturday with 3,928 career victories to rank 84^th in North American history. Only 77 riders in North American history, through Friday, had reached 4,000, according to Equibase.

“That's something I didn't think 15 years ago was even a possibility,” Tohill said. “Now, I always said I'm not quitting until after 4,000.”

Tohill rode his first winner in 1979 and has been a fixture in New Mexico, Iowa and Northern California (the back yard of all-time North American kingpin Russell Baze), consistently ranking among the top 100 riders nationally in victories since 2004. He won a career-high 221 races in 2005 to finish 20th nationally.

“I really kind of ruined the first two-thirds of my career,” Tohill said. “Just drinking and scared to leave Northern California. You had Russell Baze there. Think it was more fear than anything.”

Tohill said his return to Oaklawn coincides with COVID-19 restrictions, which continues to shutter racing in New Mexico. He rode nine winners at the recently concluded Remington Park meeting.

“It changed all of our patterns,” Tohill said of the virus. “They're shut down in New Mexico. There wasn't an option. Then, my business had started picking up at Remington and a couple of offers from people that would ride me.”

Tohill is named on two horses Jan. 22 (opening day) – All Shacked Up in the first race for 2015 Oaklawn leading trainer Chris Hartman and Five Star Moon in the fourth race for trainer Tim Martin. Tohill rode 15 of his winners at the 2014 Oaklawn meeting for Hartman.

“I'm going to pester everybody, but hopefully I'll have a little business with Hartman again,” Tohill said. “That's my main push.”

Tohill said he doesn't know where he'll ride after the Oaklawn meet ends May 1, adding there are no thoughts of retirement, especially since he's poised to reach a career milestone in 2021.

“I'm going to go until the body … or I don't belong,” Tohill said. “Right now, I feel really good. I probably feel as good as I did years ago. Knock on wood, I hope it stays like this.”

Tohill is represented at Oaklawn by agent Joe Santos. Tohill's only other Oaklawn mount came in 2009 aboard Kick On, who finished 11th in the $250,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds. Alsvid, the Hartman-trained millionaire sprinter, and multiple stakes winner Mr. Trieste are among Tohill's top career mounts.

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Fan Restriction Forces Oaklawn To Cut Overnight Purses 15 Percent

After Wednesday's announcement that Oaklawn Park will allow a limited number of fans at the 2021 race meet, track president Louis Cella told the Daily Racing Form that overnight purses will be decreased by approximately 15 percent.

“Because we had to restrict our fans, that part of the formula is reduced,” Cella told DRF. “Instead of $700,000 (per day), we'll be at about $600,000. That's still the highest in the nation. No one's close to that.”

Oaklawn's first condition book is being reprinted to reflect the purse changes, but stakes purses won't be changed.

Cella said he hopes wagering numbers from off-track patrons will allow Oaklawn to boost purses early in the meet.

Kentucky Jockey Club Winner Keepmeinmind Aimed At Feb. 15 Southwest Stakes

Keepmeinmind worked a half-mile in :50.20 Wednesday morning at Oaklawn Park, his first breeze since winning the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Regular rider David Cohen was aboard for the work, which came over a fast track and ranked 39th of 94 recorded at the distance. Keepmeinmind arrived Dec. 27 in Hot Springs after previously being in light training at Kentucky's WinStar Farm following the Kentucky Jockey Club.

“Very easy half, with a nice long gallop out,” said Cohen, Oaklawn's leading rider in 2019. “Happy to get back on him. He seemed to have matured since his last race. The time at WinStar did him a ton of good.”

Trainer Robertino Diodoro said Keepmeinmind, a late-running son of Laoban, is a candidate for the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Keepmeinmind raced four times (all routes) last year, finishing second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland before breaking his maiden as the 2-1 favorite in the Kentucky Jockey Club. His last three starts have been at 1 1/16 miles.

Diodoro was Oaklawn's leading trainer in 2020.

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‘She’s A Monster’: Monomoy Girl On Target For Feb. 15 Bayakoa At Oaklawn

Champion Monomoy Girl remains on track to make her 2021 debut in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older females Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park, trainer Brad Cox said Thursday.

Monomoy Girl is based at Fair Grounds, where she has recorded two workouts since completing an unbeaten 2020 campaign (4 for 4) with a 1 ¾-length victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky's famed racing/breeding operation, purchased Monomoy Girl for $9.5 million the following day at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale and opted to keep her in training with Cox in 2021, with the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa now her first confirmed target.

“Honestly, with her breeze this past weekend, she's probably a little ahead of schedule, as far as where I thought she would be,” Cox said. “We never took her out of training. We just backed off of her. She's as good as ever, to be honest with you. She's a monster.”

A 6-year-old daughter of Tapizar, Monomoy Girl has won 13 of 15 lifetime starts and bankrolled $4,426,818. She was the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2018, and after missing 2019 with injury and illness, likely clinched her second Eclipse Award, this time as champion older dirt female, with a second Breeders' Cup Distaff victory in November.

Monomoy Girl returned to the work tab Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds, covering 3 furlongs in :37. She breezed a half-mile in :48.80 over a fast track Sunday morning.

“She's really training well,” Cox said. “Looks amazing. Her weight's great. Her breeze this weekend was spectacular. If we can continue to see that throughout the year, we're going to have a great year again.”

The Bayakoa is Oaklawn's second of three preps for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17. The final stepping stone is the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 13. A seven-time Grade 1 winner, Monomoy Girl has never raced at Oaklawn or faced males. The Apple Blossom will be run the same day as the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses.

Cox said the Azeri could be a loose comeback target for Monomoy Girl's younger stablemate, Shedaresthedevil, who is scheduled to return this month to Hot Springs to continue preparations for her 4-year-old campaign.

Shedaresthedevil, who was based last winter and spring at Oaklawn, was among the country's top 3-year-old fillies after winning four races, including the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) in March at Oaklawn and the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.

Shedaresthedevil, in her first start against older horses, completed 2020 with a third-place finish in the $400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Shedaresthedevil then received a 60-day break, co-owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs said, before resuming training in mid-December in Kentucky.

“Just kind of knocking the dust off of her,” said Cox, Oaklawn's third-leading trainer last year. “She got a good break, a well-deserved break. No physical issues. Just thought she deserved some time. There was no sense going into the Breeders' Cup. That was really the only thing left. I thought it was a wise decision by the ownership group to just give her the break. Our goal this year is to get her to the Breeders' Cup in San Diego, at Del Mar. We'll work our way back from that.”

Cox has divisions at Oaklawn and Fair Grounds and in New York and Florida.

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