King Cotton draws Gunite, 3 local SWs

Flash of Mischief wins the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes on Dec. 10, 2022, at Oaklawn. Flash of Mischief is entered in today's $150,000 King Cotton Stakes. - Photo courtesy of Coady Photography

Oaklawn renews a race today that did not flesh out his legend but called Whitmore to mind in another way.

The $150,000 King Cotton is the Hot Springs sprint stake that eluded trainer Ron Moquett's mighty warrior. Coming off Grade 1 races in California (Breeders' Cup Sprint, which he won the next year at Keeneland) and New York (Cigar Mile Handicap), Whitmore was wheeled back for his only Oaklawn February start as an older horse at age 7 in 2020. With lack of pace then beginning to affect his races, Whitmore finished second, 1 1/2 lengths behind a front-running Share the Upside, trained by Steve Asmussen, with Silver Ride third for future local champion Robertino Diodoro.

Though he won a fourth Hot Springs and third Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (both records) that year, Whitmore experienced his greatest moment that November in the Breeders' Cup and received the Eclipse Award as champion sprinter. Upon his 2021 retirement, Whitmore was honored at Oaklawn, where alone he topped seven figures in a $4.5 million career, with the Hot Springs Stakes and a barn named in his honor. Not many Oaklawn runners (Smarty Jones comes to mind) have been loved more than the son of Pleasantly Perfect, converted into a deluxe sprinter after running third in the Arkansas Derby and entering the Kentucky Derby in 2016.

Is another Whitmore out there among the older sprinters? Elite Power parlayed his BC Sprint victory at Keeneland into an Eclipse as top older sprinter over defending champion Jackie's Warrior Thursday night. Oaklawn's reigning Count Fleet winner, trained by Asmussen, retired after his second BC defeat.

Will the King Cotton today give any clues? The race pales in comparison to Derby and Kentucky Oaks graded preps on the 11-race card, much less a huge Gulfstream program, but should define the competition long before the April running of the Grade 3 Count Fleet.

Three past Oaklawn stakes winners are among the eight entered, although the 4-year-old debut of Gunite may get the most scrutiny. A Grade 1 winner (2021 Hopeful) from Horse of the Year Gun Runner's first crop, Gunite is 6-for-13 with a Grade 2 victory (2022 Amsterdam) on his record. Both of those wins were at Saratoga, this marking his first start at Oaklawn.

Owned by Ron and Joan Winchell, familiar faces to Oaklawn fans, and trained by Asmussen, Gunite is the preliminary 7-5 choice from post seven under Ricardo Santana Jr. and carrying 121 pounds.

As a 4-year-old, Gunite gets a 3-pound break from last-out Oaklawn stakes winner Flash of Mischief and Gar Hole, one of the latter's four local victories last year coming against state-breds in the Nodouble Breeders' Cup in March. The Tekton gelding, trained by John Ortiz for John Ed Anthony, scored his fifth Oaklawn victory as a freshly turned 5-year-old Jan. 1. Hall of Famer John Velazquez picked up the mount while in town for other stakes. Going for his biggest victory to date, Gar Hole, named for the bar at Little Rock's former Marion Hotel, starts 12-1 on the board.

Flash of Mischief is second at 9-5 after running away (7 3/4 lengths) in Oaklawn's inaugural Ring the Bell in the slop Dec. 10. Karl Broberg trains and Cristian Torres rides the Into Mischief homebred colt for Jerry Namy, his David Vance victory at Remington Park providing a point of reference in Hot Springs and sending him to the BC Sprint (ninth).

Long Range Toddy won the 2019 Grade 3 Rebel with a showcase ride by Jon Court, favorite jockey of the late Willis Horton, then the horse's owner with Asmussen the trainer. Rafael Bejarano rides for trainer Dallas Stewart here with 20-1 opening odds a fair reflection of his prospects carrying a 4-for-34 record and long losing streak.

Given better chances are Jan. 6 Oaklawn winner Tejano Twist for Chris Hartman (5-1) and 12-time winner Miles Ahead (6-1) for Paul McGee. The well-respected Jay Em Ess Stable of Samantha Siegel and her late parents Jan and Mace campaigns Miles Ahead, making his Oaklawn debut. Francisco Arrieta rides for Hartman per usual and Martin Garcia for McGee, brother of nationally known turfwriter Marty McGee.

Radical Right, owned by Tom Kagele and trained by Peter Miller, goes for the same connections of C Z Rocket, twice a 2021 Oaklawn upsetter of Whitmore. Tim Martin trains 20-1 longshot Ultimate for local clients Heath Aaron and Sheena Campbell. Flavien Prat and David Cabrera, respectively, here ride horses with higher odds than usually get their services.

Post time is 3:50 p.m. for the King Cotton, eighth race on a card starting at noon. Late-running Bob's Edge won the race last year for trainer Larry Jones with Luis Quinonez aboard.