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Top Oklahoma-Bred Welder Preparing For Rare Out-Of-State Appearance At Oaklawn Park

Oaklawn will run two $1 million races Saturday (Apple Blossom and Oaklawn Handicap) and have a millionaire running in an allowance event when Welder makes a rare appearance outside Oklahoma for trainer Theresa Sue Luneack and owner Ra-Max Farms LLC.

Oklahoma-bred Welder is the 2-1 program favorite for the 10th race – the Oaklawn Handicap and Apple Blossom are bookends – a conditioned sprint for older horses. Welder will be making his first start since a Dec. 19, 2020, allowance victory at Remington Park. It was his record-tying 15th career victory at the Oklahoma City venue.

Luneack said the 8-year-old gray gelding was rerouted to Oaklawn after the $50,000 Highland Ice Stakes Tuesday at Will Rogers Downs near Tulsa was canceled because of lack of entries. Will Rogers is Welder's home track and he is based just a couple of miles away.

“He's fit, ready to run and ready to rock,” Luneack said after Welder galloped Thursday morning at Oaklawn under regular rider David Cabrera. “Jose Santos said, 'Bring him to Oaklawn.' I said, 'Well, I'll see what I can do.' The race came up on the extras and it was a perfect fit.”

Santos is the agent for Cabrera. In Welder's only Oaklawn appearance, he finished third, beaten two lengths by future Eclipse Award winner Whitmore, in the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older sprinters in 2019. Welder is a legend in Oklahoma, amassing 15 career stakes victories between Remington Park and Will Rogers Downs and has a 26-5-4 mark from 38 starts overall and earnings of $1,204,042.

Luneack said Welder was under consideration for the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) last Saturday at Oaklawn, but the gelding's priority has always been Oklahoma.

“We try to help Oklahoma racing, so we really wanted to run in the Oklahoma stake,” Luneack said. “We passed on the Count Fleet because we were trying to promote Oklahoma, but obviously that didn't work. He probably should have run in the Count Fleet.”

Luneack said Welder arrived Wednesday night for Saturday's 6-furlong race, which has a $108,000 purse – roughly three times higher than his last start.

“It's always a challenge for us,” Luneack said. “We don't haul him a lot. But now that we have to be here three days prior, I actually think that might be to Welder's advantage because he can come in and go to the racetrack to gallop and relax. Maybe a couple of trips to the track without racing will help him settle in a little better.”

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Champions Battle in Apple Blossom

Saturday's GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn Park features a clash between champions Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil).

Named champion 3-year-old filly off a sparkling 2018 campaign, Monomoy Girl returned from a year and a half on the sidelines to win all four starts in 2020, including Churchill's GI La Troienne S. followed by a successful title defense in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. After realizing $9.5 million from Spendthrift Farm at Fasig-Tipton in November, the 6-year-old mare marked her debut sporting the MyRacehorse silks when taking Oaklawn's GIII Bayakoa S. Feb. 28. The Brad Cox trainee has shown signs of readiness for her step back up to Grade I company with a swift four-furlong breeze in :47.60 at Oaklawn Apr. 11.

Looking to stand in the two-time champion's way is Swiss Skydiver, who enters Saturday's test off a confident victory in the GI Beholder Mile at Santa Anita Mar. 13. Trained by Ken McPeek, the chestnut bagged five graded stakes victories in 2020, highlighted by the GI Alabama S. and the GI Preakness S., when she was seen defeating subsequent sophomore champion colt and Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief). Despite finishing seventh behind Monomoy Girl on Breeders' Cup day, she earned a divisional title for a season that saw her win five of 10 starts while earning over $1.6 million for owner Peter Callaghan. Robbie Albarado, aboard for her three latest starts, returns to the irons Saturday.

Swiss Skydiver arrived at Oaklawn Wednesday afternoon and galloped over a muddy surface after the second renovation break Thursday morning. She has registered three workouts since the Beholder, including a five-furlong move in 1:00.40 at Churchill Downs Apr. 10.

“It's scary,” Albarado said. “She might be better than last year. She's doing so good right now.”

Swiss Skydiver can collect a $60,000 bonus for winning the Apple Blossom for racing Lasix-free.

“She doesn't need it,” McPeek said. “She's never really needed it. We took her off Lasix for her last start because she's going to be running the rest of the year without it, anyway.”

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Albarado: Swiss Skydiver ‘Might Be Better Than Last Year’ Ahead Of Apple Blossom

A lot has changed since jockey Robby Albarado was Oaklawn's leading rider in 1996 and 1997, particularly lately.

Oaklawn, as part of a multi-million expansion, is opening a seven-story, 200-room hotel overlooking the first turn. Albarado, who is back in Hot Springs as the regular rider of champion Swiss Skydiver in the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares Saturday at Oaklawn, was a guest of the hotel Wednesday night.

“I stayed in the hotel last night and was trying to think what was here,” Albarado said after galloping Swiss Skydiver Thursday morning at Oaklawn. “What was in this actual spot, where this hotel is? That's where the old gap was. I was trying to envision where the (track) kitchen was exactly. I can remember (trainer James Eckrosh) parking in that one spot and hitting the fence every day. He backed into the fence or hit the fence every day, turning in. But you know what? There's only one thing that's constant in life – change.”

After his career began to nosedive several years ago, Albarado's fortunes began to change when he picked up the mount on the well-traveled Swiss Skydiver for last October's Preakness, which was the third leg of the revamped Triple Crown and a race the jockey won in 2007 with eventual two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. Facing males, notably another future Horse of the Year in Authentic, Swiss Skydiver beat the Kentucky Derby winner by a neck in a stirring stretch duel.

Coupled with earlier victories in the $500,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) at Gulfstream Park, $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita and $400,00 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn, Swiss Skydiver was named the country's champion 3-year-old filly.

Swiss Skydiver opened her 2021 campaign with a sharp 2 ¾-length victory in the $300,000 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) March 13 at Santa Anita and now gets a rematch with two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl in the 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom. Monomoy Girl won their only meeting – $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland – as Swiss Skydiver finished seventh after stumbling badly at the start. Monomoy Girl was the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2018 and champion older dirt female of 2020.

“When you get to this point in my career, I live for these kind of races,” Albarado said. “You've got to be tactical, you've got to be ready. I did an interview with a guy from Texas, a reporter. He asked me how I felt. I told him I stayed prepared for these kind of situations. When your named is called, be ready. I was ready for the Preakness. I was prepared for it. I hadn't ridden that level of horse in a couple of years. I didn't think about anything else going on but that race and how tactically I was going to do it. Had three or four scenarios in my mind – if this does that, I'm going to do this. Getting on her all week, like I'm doing here and did in California, she goes around the track a couple of days and figures out where she's at. That's big with her. Like in the Preakness, she knew where she was, the track, the surroundings, the poles. She hooked a Horse of the Year and put him away.”

Swiss Skydiver, who is trained by Kenny McPeek, arrived Wednesday afternoon and galloped over a muddy surface after the second renovation break Thursday morning. Swiss Skydiver has recorded three workouts since the Beholder, including a 5-furlong move in 1:00.40 April 10 at Churchill Downs.

“It's scary,” Albarado said. “She might be better than last year. She's doing so good right now.”

The Apple Blossom headlines Saturday's 12-race card, with probable post time 6:09 p.m. (Central). It goes as the 11th race. First post Saturday is 12:02 p.m.

The projected six-horse Apple Blossom field from the rail out: Another Broad, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 115 pounds, 10-1 on the morning line; Swiss Skydiver, Robby Albarado, 122, 2-1; Letruska, Irad Ortiz Jr., 118, 4-1; Chance to Shine, Ken Tohill, 114, 20-1; Getridofwhatailesu, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 6-1; and Monomoy Girl, Florent Geroux, 124, even money.

Albarado has more than 5,000 victories in his career, with his mounts earning roughly $221 million in purse money. In addition to Curlin and Swiss Skydiver, Albarado was the regular of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft. Albarado has 272 career victories at Oaklawn.

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Action From Aqueduct, Keeneland, Oaklawn

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday, April 17 in partnership with Keeneland Race Course and Oaklawn Park.

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Commencing the sequence is Race 7 at Keeneland [4:24 p.m.] where a field of ten fillies and mares go 5 ½ furlongs over the turf. Trainer Wesley Ward sends out Hat Creek Racing's Chili Petin, who makes her first start since June 21 when fifth in the Lady Shipman at Belmont Park. Lothenbach Stables' Ready for Change will see turf for the first time after two triumphs in off-the-turf events at Fair Grounds for trainer Neil Pessin.

Action shifts to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas for the second leg of the sequence, where ten 3-year-olds and upward travel six furlongs for an allowance optional claiming tilt. Brereton Jones' Kadri has placed in his last three starts over the Arkansas oval and seeks his first triumph since last September at Churchill Downs, where he defeated eventual Grade 1-winner Idol. The race has a scheduled post time of 4:29 p.m. and will run as Oaklawn's seventh race.

The middle leg will see graded stakes action for the Grade 3, $200,000 Elkhorn going twelve furlongs over the turf. Always strongly represented with talented turf stock, trainer Mike Maker sends out three contenders, two of which are for Three Diamonds Farm. Breaking from the rail, Cross Border seeks his first triumph since the Grade 2 Bowling Green in July at Saratoga, while fellow Three Diamonds Farm color-bearer Tide of the Sea vies for his second graded stakes victory after capturing the Grade 2 W.L. McKnight on January 23 at Gulfstream Park. Maker also will saddle six-time winner Monarchs Glen. Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey will saddle North Dakota, a graded stakes-winning half-brother to prolific stallion War Front. The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro notched graded stakes glory two starts back in the Grade 3 Red Smith at the Big A. Carded as Race 9, the Elkhorn will go off at 5:30 p.m.

Ten minutes later, Aqueduct hosts the penultimate leg of the sequence [Race 9, 5:40 p.m.], where a dozen New York-bred fillies and mares, plus four also-eligible entrants, assemble seeking a first career win for a $40,000 tag over the outer turf course. Three Diamonds Farm's Esotica, bred by Southern Equine Stables, receives a drop in class after finishing fourth to stakes-placed Summer Brew on March 20 over the Big A main track.

The curtains close on the sequence with the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap, where red-hot Silver State seeks five consecutive wins for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, Silver State was a two-time allowance winner going seven furlongs in the fall before capturing the Fifth Season and Essex at Oaklawn Park in his most recent pair of starts. Trainer John Shirreffs will ship C R K Racing's Express Train from Southern California after finishing second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6. The bay son of Union Rags was second in the Grade 1 Malibu to Charlatan before scoring at graded stakes level in the Grade 2 San Pasqual on January 30 where he registered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure. Carded as Race 9, the Oaklawn Handicap is scheduled to go off at 5:49 p.m.

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 15:
Leg A: Keeneland-Race 7 (4:24 pm)
Leg B: Oaklawn Park-Race 7 (4:29 pm)
Leg C: Keeneland- Race 9 (5:30 pm)
Leg D: Aqueduct-Race 9 (5:40 pm)
Leg E: Oaklawn Park-Race 9 (5:49 pm)

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