For Immediate Release

Grade 3 winner Hot and Sultry completed major preparations for the March 9 $400,000 G2-Azeri Stakes with a half-mile workout in company Saturday morning for trainer Norm Casse.

Breezing over a fast track immediately following the surface renovation break, Hot and Sultry covered the distance in :48 under eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. The track was fast. 

Hot and Sultry, who worked with stablemate Effortlesslyelgant, is trying to rebound from a fifth-place finish in the Feb. 2 $250,000 G3-Bayakoa Stakes. The 4-5 favorite in her 2024 debut, Hot and Sultry was beaten 4 ¼ lengths after stumbling badly at the start of the 1 1/16-mile race.

“It is what it is,” Casse said.

The speedy Hot and Sultry completed her 2023 campaign with a front-running eight-length victory in the one-mile $300,000 G3-Chilukki Stakes Nov. 18 at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Azeri is Oaklawn’s final major prep for the $1.25 million G1-Apple Blossom Handicap April 13. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn Sunday for the Azeri.

In addition to Hot and Sultry, the Oaklawn racing department listed five other probables late Saturday morning – Bellamore for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Comparative (Brad Cox), Ice Orchid (John Ortiz), Misty Veil (Mike Maker) and Soul of an Angel (Gerald James).

Comparative was a front-running half-length winner of the Bayakoa. Bellamore won the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 27 at Sam Houston.

Ortiz Approaching 100

After a career milestone last summer in New York, trainer John Ortiz is approaching another this winter in Arkansas.

Ortiz has 98 career victories at Oaklawn, including nine this season for a seventh-place tie in the standings. Ortiz has more victories at Oaklawn than any other track and 333 overall entering Saturday, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.

“Just slow and steady,” Ortiz said. “It’s Oaklawn. It’s not an easy track, but it’s competitive and that’s what makes it so fun.”

Ortiz, who came up under several trainers, notably Kellyn Gorder, saddled his first career winner Dec. 7, 2016, at Turfway Park. His first Oaklawn victory was Jan. 21, 2017.

Ortiz had a monster 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, finishing with 27 victories from 125 starts and purse earnings of $2,670,871. Ortiz ranked third in purse earnings, tied for fourth in victories and was second in stakes victories. All four of Ortiz’s stakes victories were for Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony, who established a single-season purse earnings record for owners ($2,083,402) that season.

Ortiz saddled his first career Grade 1 winner, Brightwork, in the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Sept. 3 at Saratoga.

Brightwork has been based this winter in south Florida, with Ortiz splitting his stable between Palm Meadows Training Center north of Miami and Oaklawn.

Ortiz has around 25 horses at Oaklawn, including stakes-placed Ice Orchid and Arkansas-bred standout Black Apple. Both are homebreds for Anthony, the winningest owner in Oaklawn history. Ortiz has also claimed five horses at the meeting – one for himself, one for major client 4 G Racing (Arkansans Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway) and three others in partnership with 4 G.

“I look up to Steve Asmussen a lot,” Ortiz said, referring to North America’s all-time winningest trainer. “He’s a role model. Steve claims a lot for himself and there’s got to be a reason, a good reason for it. I started claiming a little bit more on my own and with the Gasaways, just to keep me active. It’s helped me handicapping and looking at the form of horses. When you have a lot of maidens, there’s not much you can handicap.

“I missed the claiming level, so we’re trying to partner up and have a little fun together. They’re like family, my closest friends on the backside. It’s fun.”

Ortiz and 4 G have won two races together at the meeting with Master of Arms, a $16,000 claim Dec. 15 at Oaklawn.

Ortiz has three horses entered Sunday at Oaklawn.

Finish Lines

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen recorded his meet-high 40^th victory this season at Oaklawn in Friday’s fourth race with Molly of Stratford ($6.80). The late Cole Norman set Oaklawn’s single-season record for victories by a trainer (71) in 2003. Friday was Day 31 of the scheduled 64-day meeting. ... Oaklawn’s leading rider, Cristian Torres, escaped serious injury when he was involved in an incident at the starting gate aboard Alder before Friday’s ninth race. Torres took off his final mount. Alder, who was scratched, wasn’t seriously injured. …  Jockey Kylee Jordan (dislocated left shoulder) could resume riding in approximately 60 days after undergoing surgery Thursday, her agent, Bobby Dean, said Saturday morning. Jordan hasn’t ridden since Feb. 2, when she was injured winning the fourth race. “Everything went well,” Dean said. “Maybe we can catch the tail end of Oaklawn. We’re pointing for a return at Prairie Meadows.” Oaklawn’s meeting ends May 5. … Ramsey Zimmerman recorded his 1,799^th career North American victory aboard favored Happymac ($5) in Friday’s sixth race at Oaklawn, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.

For Immediate Release

HOT SPRINGS, AR – Favorites ruled Oaklawn’s stakes doubleheader for older Arkansas-bred sprinters Saturday.

The speedy Bohemian Bo parlayed a soft early fraction into a front-running 1 ½-length victory over Willow Creek Road in the $150,000 Nodouble Breeders’ under leading rider Cristian Torres.

In the companion feature for females, Kantex rallied from sixth early to capture the $150,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders’ by a neck over Mozingo. Pacesetter Connie K, a stablemate of Kantex, was another three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

Bohemian Bo (2-1) covered six furlongs over a fast track in a sharp 1:09.98, a task made easier after clearing his seven rivals through a moderate :22.34 opening quarter-mile.

Tommy Vance of Hot Springs trains Bohemian Bo ($6.20) for Texans Mike and Linda Mazoch. The Nodouble was the first career stakes victory, and fourth in 12 starts overall for Bohemian Bo, raising his earnings to $333,067.

The Downthedustyroad was the first career stakes victory for Kantex (6-5) and among three victories on the program for jockey Rafael Bejarano.

Kantex’s winning time for six furlongs over a fast track was 1:11.64. Randy Morse trains and co-owns Kantex ($4.40) in partnership with Randy Patterson. They also bred the 5-year-old Street Strategy mare in partnership.

Kantex has a 5-1-2 record from 10 lifetime starts and earnings of $356,835.

Racing resumes Sunday at 12:30 p.m. CST, with a nine-race card Weather permitting, the infield will be open.

NODOUBLE QUOTES

WINNING JOCKEY: (Cristian Torres/Bohemian Bo): “The first quarter is the key with him. Every time he goes in, like, :21, he kind of hangs a little bit at the end. After I got the :22, it didn’t matter how fast he was going after that. That first quarter was the key. Thank God, we got the :22 and held on. He’s a nice horse. I’ve ridden him before. He’s a game horse. He gave it all today.”

WINNING TRAINER: (Tommy Vance/Bohemian Bo): “That (early pace) was Arkansas-breds, but I thought he was OK. (Owners) Mike and Linda Mazoch have trusted me with the horses.  It’s really nice.”

DOWNTHEDUSTYROAD QUOTES

WINNING JOCKEY: (Rafael Bejarano/Kantex): “I’m really happy. I had a tremendous trip. There was a lot of speed in the race and it worked out very good for my horse. My horse came from behind. We stayed on the rail and saved ground. When I saw everybody come out, I took a chance on the rail. I had a beautiful trip, good finish and nailed them on the wire.”

WINNING TRAINER/THIRD-PLACE TRAINER (Randy Morse/Kantex/Connie K): “Rafael (Bejarano) rode a good race. He always does. She (Kantex) ran well. She got it done. That’s all that matters. The other mare (Connie K) ran great. If she would have had an outside post, it would have made a huge difference. She was pinned down there and had to hold her position.”