Oaklawn | Horse Racing Free Tips

Runhappy 3-Year-Olds Making Joyful Cadence Toward Winner’s Circle

Champion Runhappy was represented by his first Oaklawn winner when Joyful Cadence ($6.40) broke her maiden by 8 ¾ lengths in Thursday's seventh race for fillies and mares, 3 and up, under apprentice Joshua Morales. It was her second career start.

Joyful Cadence, 3, is from the first crop of Runhappy, an Eclipse Award winner (male sprinter) in 2015 for colorful owner James “Mattress Mack” McIngvale who now stands at historic Claiborne Farm in Kentucky.

According to a news release from Claiborne, Joyful Cadence was the 11^th winner this year for Runhappy to lead the country's second-crop sires. Runhappy got off to a pedestrian start at stud, known more in 2019 and 2020 for a seemingly nonstop marketing push that tied the horse's name to stakes races, a race meet and six-figure bonuses for his progeny breaking their maidens in unrestricted races at a handful of major venues. Joyful Cadence is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Country Grammer, who finished fifth in the $1 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds last August at Saratoga.

“I had high hopes for her from the very beginning,” said John Ortiz, who trains Joyful Cadence for WSS Racing (William Simon). “I just thought patience with these Runhappys was going to be a key and that turned out to be correct. A lot of Runhappys that are now running as 3-year-olds, they had a good month. Again, everybody's tracking them. I knew it was going to be an older-horse thing and we're lucky to have one.”

Simon, a former Walmart executive who has a home in Rogers, Ark., purchased Joyful Cadence for $235,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Ortiz said the filly made the short list of WSS's bloodstock agent, Jared Hughes, adding “she was one of the most beautiful yearlings we saw at the sale.”

“She was just athletic from Day 1,” said Ortiz, who has trained for Simon for approximately four years. “That's the biggest investment that we have made so far, in the hopes of finding that nice Grade 1 filly, or horse, period.”

Ortiz said he stopped on Joyful Cadence last summer to give her time to mature for a 3-year-old campaign. Joyful Cadence, in her career debut, finished seventh over a synthetic surface Jan. 15 at Turfway Park. Ortiz said he used the sprint for “education” and “fitness” purposes.

“I was not disappointed in that race at all,” Ortiz said. “That race, actually, showed me what I actually had. She wasn't 100 percent fit to run that day, but she didn't look like a loser. The track was very heavy on the rail. First time, going 6 ½, and on a dead rail, I think, took a lot out of her. Even then, she came back on her toes and I kind of got an idea what she had to do now and I think that's when she put it together. We brought her to Oaklawn right away.”

Racing over a fast track Thursday, Joyful Cadence covered 6 furlongs in 1:09.95 to earn a 93 Equibase Speed rating. Ortiz said Joyful Cadence came out of the race in “great shape” and he'll probably point for a conditioned allowance event and “see where that takes us.” Joyful Cadence, Ortiz said, is the only offspring of Runhappy he now trains.

“If anybody out there has one, send the Runhappys,” Ortiz said with a laugh.

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Will’s Secret Holds Off Pauline’s Pearl To Win Oaklawn’s Honeybee

Willis Horton Racing LLC's Will's Secret secured a place in the starting gate for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) with her third straight victory in Saturday's $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. The triumph was worth 50 points towards eligibility in the Oaks and put her at the top of the leaderboard with 60 total points following her other stakes win in the Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 30.

Updated Kentucky Oaks leaderboard

Will's Secret and Tabor Hall were within a half-length of each from the start, with the later having the lead through an opening quarter mile in :24.25 before the eventual winner took over after a half mile in :49.70. Will's Secret continued to widen her lead through the stretch and finished three-quarters of a length in front of the fast closing Pauline's Pearl. The winning time was 1:44.61 over a fast track.

“She broke really well today and we weren't pressured early on,” winning jockey Jon Court said. “She was comfortable on the front end and able to dictate a moderate, easy pace. Therefore, I was able to have plenty of horse to finish with and when I called on her, she was full of run down the stretch. It just worked out very favorably today. I want to thank the Hortons and trainer Dallas Stewart.”

Sun Path was third and was followed by Oliviaofthedesert, Coach, Tabor Hall and Willful Woman. Absolute Anna was scratched. Pauline's Pearl received 20 points toward Oaks eligibility for second, Sun Path received 10 and Oliviaofthedesert received five.

Will's Secret, a homebred by Horton's champion Will Take Charge, improved her overall record to three wins from six starts and she has now earned $343,300. She returned $6.20, $4.40 and $3 as the 2-1 favorite.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a 1 p.m. first post.

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Keepmeinmind Stays ‘Nice And Relaxed’ In Final Work For Oaklawn’s Rebel

Grade 2 winner Keepmeinmind completed major preparations for the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds March 13 at Oaklawn with a 5-furlong workout over a fast track Friday morning for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Keepmeinmind breezed alone after the second surface renovation break under regular rider David Cohen. A late-running son of Laoban, Keepmeinmind was clocked in 1:02.20 and galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:16, according to clockers who recorded earlier splits of :13 for the colt's opening eighth of a mile, :37 for 3 furlongs and :49.80 for a half-mile. The 5-furlong time ranked 23rd of 32 published at the distance.

“We were just looking for something easy,” Diodoro said after watching the work from the frontside. “David did a good job of keeping him nice and relaxed because he can get a little tough. It's just about keeping him healthy and happy now.”

Friday's work was the eighth this year at Oaklawn for Keepmeinmind, unraced since a last-to-first victory in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Keepmeinmind has been scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 at Oaklawn before the 1 1/16-mile race was postponed twice because of harsh winter weather. The Southwest was run last Saturday, but Diodoro opted to begin Keepmeinmind's 2021 campaign in the Rebel after Oaklawn lost 11 days of training (Feb. 12-22) because of arctic temperatures and heavy snow. Keepmeinmind returned to the work tab Feb. 26, covering 5 furlongs in 1:03.20.

“Those two weeks back training, having a couple of works in him, really seemed to do him a lot of good,” Cohen said. “Today was just an easy work, trying to keep him as quiet as possible. Still, a nice, long gallop out, with nothing too rapid. I was very happy with the way he broke off. He has a tendency to get real tough. He did it really relaxed. Was very within himself.”

Prior to breaking his maiden in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Keepmeinmind finished 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. Essential Quality won the Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to being named the country's champion 2-year-old male and captured the Southwest in his 2021 debut for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox to remain unbeaten in four lifetime starts.

The 1 1/16-mile Rebel is Oaklawn's third of four Kentucky Derby points races and will offer 85 (50-20-10-5, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

The Oaklawn racing department listed eight early probables Friday morning for the Rebel – Big Lake for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Caddo River (Cox), Concert Tour (Bob Baffert), Keepmeinmind, Nova Rags (Bill Mott), O Besos (Greg Foley), Starrininmydreams (Dallas Stewart) and Super Stock (Asmussen).

Caddo River, a homebred for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, was a record-setting 10 ¼-length winner of the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 22, Oaklawn's first Kentucky Derby points race. Unbeaten Concert Tour (2 for 2) possesses a resume that is a carbon copy of last year's Rebel winner, Nadal, another Baffert trainee.

Concert Tour broke his maiden Jan. 15 at Santa Anita and won the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes (G2) Feb. 6 at Santa Anita. Concert Tour will be making his two-turn debut in the Rebel, a race Baffert has won a record seven times. Nova Rags finished second, beaten a length, in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs in his last start.

The Rebel is among five stakes races to be run March 13 at Oaklawn, the others being the $150,000 Temperence Hill for older horses at 1 ½ miles, $200,000 Hot Springs for older sprinters, $350,000 Azeri (G2) for older females at 1 1/16 miles and the $500,000 Essex Handicap for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

Whitmore, the country's champion male sprinter of 2020, is scheduled to make his seasonal debut in the Hot Springs. The gelding has won the Hot Springs a record four consecutive years.

The Rebel is the final major local prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 10.

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Local Prep Winner Will’s Secret Hasn’t Missed A Beat Ahead Of Saturday’s Honeybee

Oaklawn's road to the Kentucky Oaks continues Saturday with the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles.

The Honeybee is the ninth of 10 races, with probable post time 5:10 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 1 p.m.

The Honeybee will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks, the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. Last year's Honeybee winner, Shedaresthedevil, captured the delayed Kentucky Oaks (COVID-19) for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and co-owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs.

Cox has two entrants Saturday, including 5-2 program favorite Sun Path for breeder/owner Juddmonte Farms. Sun Path, a daughter of Munnings, will be making her first start since a disappointing fourth-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds.

“Sun Path's been training extremely well,” Cox said. “I have really no excuse or reason for her dull performance last time. I was kind of taken aback by that. She came out of it well. She's breezed tremendous at the Fair Grounds.”

Prior to the Silverbulletday, Sun Path had broken her maiden by three lengths Nov. 8 at Churchill Downs and won a first-level allowance race by 12 ¾ lengths in her two-turn debut Dec. 18 at Fair Grounds.

Cox's other entrant is Coach, who finished a troubled second as the odds-on favorite in Oaklawn's first Kentucky Oaks points race, the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 30. Coach was squeezed early and beaten 5 ¼ lengths by Will's Secret in the 1-mile race run over a muddy surface. Coach had won her first three career starts before completing her 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish behind stablemate Travel Column in the $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Coach breezed a half-mile in :48.60 last Sunday morning, but Cox noted the daughter of Commissioner had her work/gallop schedule significantly impacted after Oaklawn lost 11 days of training last month because of severe winter weather.

“Coach has obviously missed some training,” Cox said. “We'll kind of see how things go.”

Conversely, powerful Martha Washington winner Will's Secret hasn't missed a beat, said Fair Grounds-based Dallas Stewart, who trains the daughter of champion Will Take Charge for breeder/owner Willis Horton of Marshall, Ark. After winning the Martha Washington, Will's Secret recorded three half-mile works last month at Fair Grounds.

“She's doing good,” Stewart said. “She's a nice, honest filly and easy to train – just an easy keeper. Nice filly.”

Will's Secret is bidding for her third consecutive victory. After finishing third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by the highly regarded Clairiere, Oct. 25 at Churchill Downs, Will's Secret broke her maiden by 2 ¾ lengths in a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf event Dec. 20 at Fair Grounds under Jon Court. She displayed push-button acceleration in the Martha Washington, romping from just off the pace under Court.

“Actually, I thought it might be a little short for her,” Stewart said of the Martha Washington. “She proved me wrong. She stepped up to the plate nicely.”

The projected eight-horse Honeybee field from the rail out: Tabor Hall, David Cohen to ride, 117 pounds, 10-1 on the morning line; Will's Secret, Jon Court, 122, 7-2; Willful Woman, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 6-1; Sun Path, Joe Talamo, 117, 5-2; Pauline's Pearl, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 8-1; Absolute Anna, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 15-1; Oliviaofthedesert, David Cabrera, 119, 7-2; and Coach, Florent Geroux, 119, 4-1.

The Honeybee is the final major local prep for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3. The Fantasy is Oaklawn's third and final Kentucky Oaks points race. Last year's Fantasy winner, Swiss Skydiver, was named the country's champion 3-year-old filly after finishing second in the Kentucky Oaks and beating males, including eventual Horse of the Year Authentic, in the Preakness, the final leg of the revamped Triple Crown. Swiss Skydiver's trainer, Kenny McPeek, is represented by Oliviaofthedesert and Tabor Hall, both based this winter in Florida.

Oliviaofthedesert closed her 2020 campaign victories in a Nov. 28 allowance race at Churchill Downs and the $60,000 Trapeze Stakes Dec. 18 at Remington Park. Owner Susan Moulton purchased the daughter of Bernardini for $320,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Moulton's Fire Coral finished fifth behind Swiss Skydiver in the Fantasy.

“She seems to be getting better,” McPeek said of Oliviaofthedesert. “Just been real pleased with everything. She got a little break between races. She's been training down here in Florida for two months.”

Tabor Hall broke her maiden by 1 ½ front-running lengths Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park in her last start.

“I'm glad to have David back up on (Oliviaofthedesert),” McPeek said, referring to Cabrera. “He did a marvelous job on Olivia (in the Trapeze). David Cohen's won the Travers for me, so I know I can trust his work. Tactically, I haven't dug too deep on it.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the Honeybee a record five times, is represented by Fair Grounds shipper Pauline's Pearl and Willful Woman, who broke her maiden Jan. 24 at Oaklawn for prominent Arkansas owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong.

Willfull Woman's half-sister, the Asmussen-trained Ever So Clever, finished fifth in the 2017 Honeybee before winning the Fantasy.

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