Arkie champs: ‘King’ and a ‘Storming’ queen

King Peanut leads the field in the $150,000 Rainbow Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn. - Photo courtesy of Coady Photography

On a day that three Kentucky Derby preps went off at other tracks, some Arkansas-bred horses got down to business at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.

Moments after the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland, King Peanut got through on the rail against favored Midnight Taxes and won the 50th running of the $150,000 Rainbow. The Dan Peitz trainee jogged by seven lengths on the Dec. 31 all-juvenile card at Oaklawn and ran third in the slop in a Feb. 26 Arkansas-bred allowance at the track. A keen-eyed observer may have noted that the February winner, Mahomey, in a new barn, paid $48 in a starter-allowance victory Friday.

Debater, trained by Tommy Vance and with connections similar to his 2021 Rainbow Miss winner Hillary G, closed with a rush in midtrack for second at 10-1. Debater, a full brother to Arkansas-bred stakes winner Ministry, was close early and held third at 36-1 for owner Linda Robbins and trainer Jaime Gonzalez.

Two races later, Kentucky-based stallion Hightail was represented in the winner's circle after the $150,000 Rainbow Miss by She's Storming. The chestnut won in her seventh career start, all at Oaklawn and debuting Dec. 9 in the mud with a half-length victory. Sticking with jockey Kylee Jordan paid off for trainer Michael Hewitt's filly, She's Storming coming off a last-out third to Pattern Bet on the Arkansas Derby undercard April 1.

Francisco Arrieta saved ground on King Peanut from post two, the Mo for the Money colt getting his second wind in upper stretch and opening daylight, his final margin 3 1/4 lengths. Midnight Taxes, favored at 6-5 and leading after a half in 45.91, came in sixth.

Richard Christian's dark bay or brown winner clocked six furlongs in 1:10.87, winning two days after turning 3 by the calendar, and paid $5.80, $3.80 and $2.80. Breeder Eugenia Thompson Benight is a longtime friend of Oaklawn racing.

Peitz, a Little Rock native and Catholic High graduate, burst upon the racing scene with the brilliant racemare Capote Belle, a multiple Grade 1 winner for her Missouri owners. Robert and Lawana Low (Springfield) also owned Steppenwolfer, third in Barbaro's 2006 Kentucky Derby, after dealing with Lawyer Ron at Oaklawn. Peitz, who has also trained for Shadwick Stable, won the 2015 Pippin and Grade 3 Bayakoa with the barn's Mufajaah. Local fans remember his work with Big Dave, four of his five wins coming at Oaklawn.

The 45th Rainbow Miss winner returned after a week off and six days past her actual third birthday. Storm and a Half's daughter produced She's Stroming, owned by Michael Tedder.

Bennykayandsuzytoo, the odds-on favorite for trainer John Henry Prather, got up for second under Arrieta and Ms. Carroll County ran third under Kelsi Harr. The top three were meet winners, Ms. Carroll County for Tim Dixon.

Breaking from post three, She's Storming checked in after a fast-rated six furlongs of 1:11.87 and paid $17, $5.60 and $3.80. Mozingo, a last-out winner for trainer Tom Amoss and Hot Springs owner Jerry Caroom, was scratched.

Hightail stands for $5,000 at legendary Calumet Farm on Versailles Road outside of Lexington. Other of his runners include Kaboom Baby, third in the 2021 Rainbow Miss and March 4 runner-up in the Downthedustyroad Breeders', for state-bred female sprinters.

The stallion fractured a sesamoid in early 2013 at Oaklawn after winning the previous year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint for trainer Wayne Lukas. Hightail is a son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshafter and produced by Stormy Renee, daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Fleet Renee.