Photo: Oaklawn Park
Zayat
Stables' Nehro, runner-up in both the Arkansas Derby (G1) and the
Kentucky Derby (G1) last year was scratched from the New Orleans
Handicap Sunday after reportedly tying up after training Saturday at
Fair Grounds and could possibly run now in the April
14 Oaklawn Handicap (G2).
Trainer
Steve Asmussen called Oaklawn’s racing office to confirm that Nehro was
indeed nominated for the race and owner Zayat Stable tweeted that they
hope to now make
the 1 1/8-mile race that shares the closing day card with the $1
million Arkansas Derby (G1), $250,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3)
and $100,000 Northern Spur Stakes.
Nominations
to the Oaklawn Handicap will be announced Wednesday. Others expected
for the race include defending champion Win Willy, two-time stakes
winner this meet Alternation
and Donn Handicap (G1) winner Hymn Book.
Busy Morning for Richard Runners
While
some trainers usually make Sunday an easy day, Chris Richard took the
opportunity to work one of his best older horses, It Happened Again, and
his two top 3-year-olds
Pee H Dee and Ring It Up. It Happened Again and Pee H Dee worked in
company and got the bullet time of 1:00 3/5 for five furlongs over a
fast track, while Ring It Up worked six furlongs, also in company, in
1:13 1/5.
“It
Happened Again and Pee H Dee were head-to-head the whole way,” said
Richard. “It was a very good work for both them. It was also a really
good work for Ring It Up.
I was very pleased with all of them.”
Richard
is still undecided about It Happened Again’s next start after his
fifth-place finish in the March 10 Razorback Handicap (G3) as the
defending champion, while Pee
H Dee may have worked himself into a spot in the $100,000 Northern Spur
Stakes on the April 14 Arkansas Derby undercard. He was most recently
ninth in the March 17 Rebel Stakes (G2). Ring It Up, fourth in the first
division of the Southwest Stakes (G3) to
Castaway Feb. 20, will leave early next week for Chicago where he will
start in the $500,000 Illinois Derby (G3) next Saturday.