Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024

Compiled by Robert Yates

After hitting the board with three of her first four starters this season at Oaklawn, Jade Cunningham will try to break through in Friday’s sixth race with a horse that has already provided two breakthrough moments for the trainer.

Cunningham will saddle Spankster, one of eight horses entered in the $65,000 starter-allowance for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. Spankster provided Cunningham with her first career victory in a March 9 starter-allowance sprint at Oaklawn and her most lucrative of seven career victories to date in a $141,000 allowance sprint May 24 at Churchill Downs. Both 5 ½-furlong victories were on an off track.

Spankster (1:04.19) ran the fastest 5 ½ furlongs of the 2023-2024 Oaklawn meeting in his March 9 victory.

“He loves this track and it does look like it’s supposed to rain,” Cunningham said. “So, we’re hoping for a sealed track because he loves a sealed Oaklawn track. I’m hoping that that plays out for us, but either way he’s training really good.”

Spankster exits a closing third in the Claiming Crown’s $150,000 Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial starter allowance at 5 ½ furlongs on the turf Nov. 16 at Churchill Downs. Spankster has recorded three half-mile workouts this season at Oaklawn in advance of Friday’s race.

“He came out of the Claiming Crown really well and he’s been getting over this track good as well,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham also co-owns Spankster, who is 15-1 on the morning line.

Cunningham worked for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and trainer Dallas Stewart before going out on her own in the summer of 2023. She has nine horses at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the sixth race is 2:50 p.m. (Central).

Friday’s Feature

Time for Truth, one of Oaklawn’s most promising young prospects last season, is entered in Friday’s fifth race, a stout six-furlong $133,000 allowance race for 3-year-olds.

Trained by Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, Time for Truth was a sparkling New Year’s Eve debut winner before finishing second in the $150,000 Ozark Stakes Feb. 10 in his next start. Both races were six furlongs. Time for Truth then won his two-turn debut March 2 before finishing sixth in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 30.

Time for Truth’s last three starts have been in sprints. In his last race, he faded to seventh as the 7-5 favorite in a seven-furlong allowance race Nov. 22 at Remington Park.

“Just got to throw that race away,” Moquett said. “He came out of it with a huge lung infection, so we got him cleared up off that and let him work the other day. Worked lights out, so we expect a better performance.”

Time for Truth tuned up for his Oaklawn comeback by zipping a half-mile in :47.20 Dec. 12. It was the fastest of 52 times recorded at the distance.

Time for Truth represents the first Oaklawn winner sired by 2019 Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach.

Time for Truth (15-1 on the morning line) is scheduled to break from post 8 in the nine-horse field under Keith Asmussen. Other entrants include multiple stakes winners Glengarry and Henro and the speedy Booth for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Glengarry will be making his Oaklawn debut for co-owner/trainer Doug Anderson of Hot Springs.

Probable post time for the fifth race is 2:22 p.m. (Central).

Finish Lines

Racing resumes Friday at Oaklawn. First post is 12:30 p.m. (Central). … Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Sunday for two stakes races Jan. 4 at Oaklawn – $250,000 Smarty Jones for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and the $150,000 Mockingbird for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The Smarty Jones closed Dec. 19 with 81 nominations. It is Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races, with 21 points awarded to the top five finishers (10-5-3-2-1, respectively) toward starting eligibility. Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby after finishing fifth in the Smarty Jones. … Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen registered his record-extending 952nd career Oaklawn victory in last Sunday’s fourth race with Angel of Faith ($17.60). Asmussen’s son, apprentice jockey Erik Asmussen, rode the winner. … Arkansas-bred standout Haulin Ice, in her return to Oaklawn, raised her career earnings to $447,350 with a one-length victory in last Sunday’s featured ninth race, an allowance sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Haulin Ice was a three-time winner last season at Oaklawn for trainer Lindsay Schultz before being sold privately and transferred to Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Haulin Ice collected a $3,000 bonus from the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association for beating open company. The base purse was $133,000. Haulin Ice ($5.40) was the 8-5 favorite.