Oaklawn Report #8

Three Stars of the Week

– 1st Star: Gentlemen’s Bet (FL) – He’s back!!!  A month ago he returned to the races for the first time since 2013, and looked like a winner on the turn but got a little tired and finished third.  You could tell he needed the race, and wow did he respond in the Hot Springs Stakes this Saturday as he ran down the extremely tough Ivan Fallunovalot and earned a beyer speed figure of 108.  The race may have been the best he’s ever ran, and you can bet he’ll be targeting graded stakes action next.  The Breeders Cup Sprint is the main goal of the year for him.

– 2nd Star: Sarah Sis (KY) – In a race that was supposed to be evenly matched, Sarah Sis made it look easy in the Honeybee winning by multiple lengths over a fast closing Oceanwave and Pangburn.  The win punches her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks, and also flatters Promise Me Silver and Take Charge Brandi who narrowly defeated her in previous stakes races.  You would assume the Fantasy Stakes will be next as she continues down the road to the Kentucky Oaks.

– 3rd Star: We Be Stormin (AR) – It was a great race in the annual Nodouble Breeders Stakes for Arkansas breds, and in the end it was We Be Stormin who just BARELY got there in time to win a photo over Rock City Roadhog.  The win makes it three in a row for We Be Stormin, and three out of four overall.  Arkansas bred’s are not known to be the fastest in the world, but We Be Stormin has a pretty good turn of foot for a state bred.

Flop of the Week

– Super Saks (KY) – This one is painful for me to put as a flop of the week.  The Dudes love this horse, but she just will not relax on the front end.  She set blazing fractions in the Honeybee Stakes, but faded to last in the end as jockey Terry Thompson couldn’t get her to slow down.  Until she learns how to rate six furlongs will be her maximum distance.