Photo: Oaklawn Park
Saturday’s $150,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) drew a competitive
10-horse field featuring some familiar horses to Oaklawn fans, including
last year’s winner Alternation,
Donoharm, winner of the Fifth Season
and Essex this season, and two of last year’s top 3-year-olds,
Najjaar
and
Atigun.
Shortleaf Stable’s Atigun used an allowance win and a fifth in the
Arkansas Derby (G1) as a springboard to greater success later in the
year that included a third in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and third in the
Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G2). He’s using a similar plan this year. He
returned to the races Feb. 15 in his first start since the Breeders’ Cup
last November and finished third behind fellow Razorback runners Cyber
Secret and Golden Rod.
“We think he’ll improve off that last start,” said Phil Bauer,
assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek. “Obviously Lynn Whiting’s horse
[Cyber Secret] is the “now” horse and Donoharm has turned out really
strong. But we knew going in we weren’t going to be firing our best
bullet last time. We got what we wanted out of it and he’s been training
like he’s ready to move forward for this.”
Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch’s Donoharm has done no wrong since
arriving in Hot Springs and could be the likely favorite as he goes for
his sixth straight win Saturday. He went off at odds at 13-1 in the
opening day Fifth Season and 7-1 in the Feb. 2 Essex Handicap, but
should garner a little more respect in the Razorback.
Dan Bearden’s San Pablo, the beaten favorite when second in the
Essex, makes a return trip from trainer Todd Pletcher’s South Florida
base. He drew post nine, just to the inside of Alternation, who drew
post 10.
Pin Oak Stud’s Alternation, the 119 lb. highweight, will be making
his first start since last October, but has been training forwardly for
trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel. Last year, he swept the Essex, Razorback
and Oaklawn (G2) Handicaps.
The complete field for the Razorback Handicap, in post position
order, with riders and weights: Golden Ron, Ramon Vazquez, 111; Atigun,
Victor Lebron, 116; Cyber Secret, Robby Albarado, 113; Donoharm, Cliff
Berry, 117; Ride the Lightening, Ricardo Santana Jr., 111; Raison
D’Etat, Eddie Martin Jr., 111; Najjaar, Terry Thompson, 112; Brethren,
Mike Smith, 114; San Pablo, Chris DeCarlo, 117, and Alternation, Luis
Quinonez, 119.