Zaino Boyz Takes on Arkansas Locals in Rainbow Stakes

Inaugural Stakes winner Zaino Boyz has shifted to his home state of Arkansas from South Florida and will face nine other Arkansas-bred sophomore colts or geldings in the $100,000 Rainbow Stakes April 17 at Oaklawn Park.

The Rainbow Stakes is one of two six-furlong sprint stakes featured on Oaklawn's Friday card, the other being the $100,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies bred in Arkansas.

Zaino Boyz will be making his first start for trainer Chris Hartman. Last out, he won a March 14 allowance optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park, where he covered six furlongs in 1:11.02 and won by 3 3/4 lengths in a gate-to-wire score. The Daaher  colt is the only Rainbow entrant with stakes experience, including a score in the Dec. 7 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Zaino Boyz led throughout and crossed the wire six lengths in front at 28-1, getting three-eighths of a mile in 1:09.95.

Bred by Jarett Wolfe, Zaino Boyz was purchased for $19,000 by Susanne Zaino from Stuart Morris' consignment to the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales October Yearlings Sale. He has earned $81,450 from three wins in seven starts. Joe Talamo has the mount from the outside post.

Jerry Caroom's Tempt Fate will take the leap up to stakes company off a 6 1/4-length maiden special weight against Arkansas-breds April 3. The Hamazing Destiny colt crossed the wire first on debut Dec. 6 in a maiden claiming race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots but was disqualified after testing positive for levamisole. At the time, he was trained by Joe Sharp, who had multiple horses disqualified for levamisole, which can be found in a deworming medication the trainer said he started using in November but removed from the barn after the positive tests. Tempt Fate was third next out at Oaklawn and was claimed for $40,000 by trainer Carl Deville for Caroom, then broke his maiden April 3.

Jockey Corey Lanerie will ride Tempt Fate from post 6.

The field also includes maiden winners Hamazing Wisdom, Captain Don, Man in the Can, Ten Buds, and Piece of Work. Chicken Hawk, Implicator, and Jimmie T will be in search of their first win.

The Rainbow Miss Stakes attracted a field of eight 3-year-old fillies, including JRita Young Thoroughbreds' Proud Victoria, a winner in her first two of three starts for trainer Ron Moquett. The daughter of Laurie's Rocket took a Dec. 5 Remington Park maiden special weight and a Feb. 1 Oaklawn state-bred allowance by a head, then got up for fourth Feb. 22 in the Downthedustyroad Breeders' Stakes, a non-black-type event for state-bred fillies and mares.

Proud Victoria has earned $77,395 from her three starts and will have Ricardo Santana Jr. in the irons when she breaks from post 6.

In the outside post is Shortleaf Stable's Sekani, who was second on debut at Ellis Park in August before returning in February to win against fellow Arkansas-breds by 10 lengths. The Double Irish filly trained by William VanMeter was fourth last out in state-bred allowance company March 6 after she was bothered early. Declan Cannon is named to ride.

Completing the field are maiden winners Hissy Missy, The Mary Rose, Julie Arkansas, Lucky Every Day, and Get One More, as well as Choctaw Charlie, who was beaten a neck and a head in her two respective starts.