Rainbow Preview: Zaino Boyz Looking for Second Stakes Score

Already a stakes winner at age 2, Zaino Boyz will compete as part of an eclectic group of 10 Arkansas-bred 3-year-old males in Friday’s $100,000 Rainbow Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The Rainbow will be the ninth event on the 10-race card, with the boys going off at a local post time of 6:09 PM Central.

“He looks really good on paper,” said Chris Hartman, who is taking over training duties for Zaino Boyz while he is at Oaklawn Park. “The horse came in in great shape. The horse looks good, and so far he’s done everything right. I would assume the horse is going to be really tough.”

The Rainbow is the second of two big races Friday, following the $100,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes.

1. Hamazing Wisdom (15/1) – After stylishly breaking his maiden on debut over this course and distance on February 2, Hamazing Wisdom returned less than four weeks later to face state-bred allowance foes, but he lost all chance at the start when he broke poorly. A cleaner break along the rail is a must for this son of leading Arkansas sire Hamazing Destiny.

2. Captain Don (4/1) – When his 2020 debut resulted in a maiden-breaking effort over this course and distance, Nebraska Hall of Fame trainer Don Von Hemel sent Captain Don to face older state-bred males in a 6-furlong allowance event. He finished a game second there, but he struggled over a muddy surface last out, so he will likely want to see a clean track on Friday.

3. Chicken Hawk (15/1) – One of three maidens trying to earn his first win against stakes company, Chicken Hawk lost by just a 1/2-length in his debut while running for a $50k tag. He moved up to maiden special weight company next but failed to duplicate the same result, finishing almost 7 lengths behind one of the rivals that he will face here.

4. Implicator (12/1) – The second of three maidens in the event, Implicator tried two turns most recently and finished second, though the winner was almost 8 lengths ahead of him at the wire. He should appreciate cutting back in distance while receiving the riding services of Miguel Mena.

5. Jimmie T (15/1) – The field’s third maiden has only hit the board once in four starts, finishing third last out in the same race that saw Implicator run second. His sire, Will Take Charge, is a local legend for having won three of his four starts over the Hot Springs oval, including the Smarty Jones Stakes and the Rebel Stakes (G3) in 2013.

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6. Tempt Fate (7/1) – This son of Hamazing Destiny has twice crossed the wire first, though his debut win at Fair Grounds last December was later disqualified after he tested positive for a banned substance. Trainer Carl Deville, Jr., claimed him for $40k out of his next start, then moved him up to trounce a field of state-bred maiden special weight foes (including Chicken Hawk) by 6 1/4 lengths.

7. Man in the Can (8/1) – After winning his debut last December, this Ron Moquett trainee was away for over two months before returning to face state-bred allowance rivals last out. He looked like he had rust to shake off but has attracted top-notch rider Joel Rosario for his first stakes appearance.

8. Ten Buds (15/1) – As the only runner in the field with a win over an off track, do not be surprised to see Ten Buds’ connections doing a rain dance on Friday morning. In his third and most recent start, he held on to win a muddy 6-furlong sprint, defeating a next-out winner by a neck.

9. Piece of Work (20/1) – He could not have started his career out on a better note than he did when defeating an open maiden special weight field at Remington Park by 6 1/2 lengths. He failed to hit the board in two subsequent starts here against older state-bred allowance males, so returning to face horses his own age should improve his chances.

10. Zaino Boyz (8/5) – The field’s most accomplished runner and deserving favorite will likely be sent hard from the far outside post in search of the early lead. This will be his first start against Arkansas-breds after making seven starts in Florida and winning three, including the 6-furlong Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.