Tom's d'Etat rallies easily for $150,000 Oaklawn Mile
What you need to know:
- The winner, trained by Al Stall, is a 7-year-old by Smart Strike out of Julia Tuttle - Giant's Causeway. He covered one mile on a sealed wet fast track in 1:35.8/10 seconds.
- The Oaklawn Mile, contested during a downpour, was co-featured on Saturday's spectator-free 12-race programme at Oaklawn with the $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes.
Joel Rosario enjoyed an arm-chair ride on Tom's d'Etat 4-5, in Saturday's Oaklawn Mile at Hot Spring.
He grounded Improbable (Drayden Van Dyke 3-1), with a handy space to spare. Bankit and Pioneer Spirit filled place spots against 11 older runners.
The winner, trained by Al Stall, is a 7-year-old by Smart Strike out of Julia Tuttle - Giant's Causeway. He covered one mile on a sealed wet fast track in 1:35.8/10 seconds.
The Oaklawn Mile, contested during a downpour, was co-featured on Saturday's spectator-free 12-race programme at Oaklawn with the $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes.
The races were originally scheduled at the end of the meet, but track officials rearranged the stakes schedule when other tracks were required to suspend racing because of the pandemic.
This pushed the Arkansas Derby and other graded stakes to later days of the meeting.
Improbable, breaking from the outside post position living up to his reputation as a menace in the starting gate, was away well, hustled toward the front and wound up going four wide around the first turn.
KENTUCKY DERBY
Improbable, a beaten favourite in both the 2019 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, took command unaware that Tom's d'Etat had him measured. However, kicking into high gear after being taken off the rail by Joel, he smoothly seized the lead.
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Staunch pundits will remember Might And Power fondly after the legend passed away at Easter. The elderly statesman was rushed from his home at Living Legends to Werribee Equine Centre, having been diagnosed with colic. Despite emergency surgery, he did not make it.
Terribly sad for regular partner Jim Cassidy who said the great horse going was indeed a final curtain call for a golden age of racing.
His legacy will always be linked to extraordinary ability, a dominant pulverising, front-running style, and stylish attitude. He landed the Caulfied Cup, Melbourne, and, Cox Plate, aggressively, meaning he is only one of two thoroughbreds to have won all three coveted races, alongside Rising Fast.
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The Japanese 1,000 Guineas, known as Oka Sho, produced another potentially exceptional filly in the shape of Daring Tact (Kohei Matsuyama 4-5), who mowed down champion juvenile, Resistencia, to remain unbeaten and land the first Japanese Classic behind closed doors.
Hanshin racecourse was without the 50,000-strong crowd that witnessed this event 12 months ago, but trainer, Haruki Sugiyama's, imposing filly did not disappoint, plumping three wins from three starts.
JAPAN CUP
The daughter of Japan Cup and Japanese St Leger hero, Epiphaneia, Daring Tact looked to have plenty on her plate turning in but gave generously for Matsuyama's urgings to win well by a growing 1.5 lengths.
Resistencia (Yutaka Take 4-1), ran out of fuel towards the end, but graciously took second place. Smile Kana, 35-1, forced a good pace all the way and managed third.
Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, agreed that competitions could continue, so long as strict measures were adhered to.
