The Dixie Belle Stakes Kicks Off Oaklawn Park Meeting

Located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the track opens Friday for a 54-day meeting that will be the starting point for many promising three year olds that want to travel down the Triple Crown Trail.

Oaklawn Park has an excellent program for three year olds, culminating in the marquee event of the meet, the $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday, April 13.

The Arkansas Derby will be a Grade 1 this year, a deserving upgrade for a race won recently by Curlin, Lawyer Ron, Afleet Alex, and Smarty Jones.

One stepping-stone to that race is the $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at one mile, which will be held on Monday.

The other two key prep races are the $250,000 Southwest Stakes on February 15, and the $300,000 Rebel Stakes on March 13.

Trainer Allen Milligan is back to defend the trainers title he won last year. Milligan won 24 races, one more than runner up Steve Asmussen, who set the nationwide record with 650 winners overall last year, 23 of them coming at Oaklawn Park.

Other trainers who figure to have good meets are D. Wayne Lukas, Jorge Lara, Tim Ice and Steve Hobby.

Terry Thompson led all jockeys with 62 wins last year, with Quincy Hamilton finishing second in the standings with 39 winners.

Other jockeys that figure to have plenty of live mounts include Calvin Borel, Tim Doocy, and Cliff Berry.

Newcomers Corey Nakatani and apprentice Fred Lenclud will also make their presence known at this meeting.

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Borel will get a late start. He was handed a six day suspension by the Churchill Downs stewards, and will miss the first three days of the meeting. He will ride Dryfly in Monday’s Smarty Jones Stakes, and will complete his suspension from Jan. 22-24.

Oaklawn Park will run from Friday through Monday, then go to a four week schedule, running from Thursday through Sunday. The track will run on Monday, February 15, which is Presidents Day.

The opening day feature is the $50,000 Dixie Bell Stakes, which drew a field of seven three year old fillies, including four stakes winners.

Oaklawn Park Race 8 Dixie Belle Stakes (Post time 4:33 CT)

#5 Vertical Vision

#6 Shotgun Gulch

#4 Decelerator

#2 Rapid Racer

#5 Vertical Vision is a well travelled filly making a start over her sixth different track here. The Asmussen filly was the beaten chalk last out at Remington Park in a state bred stake. She pressed the early pace from the outside, took over the lead and went clear but was run down late by #6 Shotgun Glitch. She had a tough trip two back in the Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs, having to race in traffic on the far turn and steadied in upper stretch. The winner Sassy Image came back to win the Golden Rod (G2) in her next start. She owns a solid pace prolife throughout and is a two time stakes winner. The filly just needs a good trip sitting just off the pace to score here.

#6 Shotgun Glitch got a solid early pace to run at last out at Remington and ran them down in the stretch for her second stakes win. There is plenty of early speed in here to set things up for her again. Her lone loss came two back when trying turf and catching a soft turf course at Retama. She made a good middle move in that effort and weakened in the stretch to finish fourth. She owns the edge in late pace numbers with the main knock on this gal being the barn switch to Kim Ewing, who won just three races last year.

Wagering

WIN: #5 to win at 9/5 or better.

EX: 5,6 / 2,4,5,6

TRI: 5,6 / 2,4,5,6 / 1,2,4,5,6