Gunite Ready to Fire in King Cotton

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Gunite Ready to Fire in King Cotton
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Photo: Rick Samuels
Gunite trains last fall at Keeneland

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Red Route One  is in the biggest race Jan. 28 at Oaklawn Park, racing in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes, but Gunite  is the biggest-name horse carrying Winchell's maroon and white silks earlier in the eighth race on the 11-race program.

The 2021 Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner competes roughly an hour before the Southwest when favored at 7-5 on the morning line against seven rivals in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes. The six-furlong King Cotton is meant to prep him for the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3) Feb. 25 in Saudi Arabia, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen told Daily Racing Form.

The homebred son of Gun Runner   was also highly productive last year at age 3, compiling a 4-2-0 record in seven starts. Victorious in four stakes, including the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course, he also was second to Jack Christopher   over the summer in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) there.

He also performed well in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in his season finale, beaten four lengths by Cody's Wish  in a two-turn mile race beyond his best distance.

Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. is reunited with Gunite, riding him for the first time since the colt's 2-year-old season. Gunite has breezed at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and Oaklawn this winter.

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Stakes winners Flash of Mischief  (9-5), Tejano Twist  (5-1), and Miles Ahead  (6-1) head the opposition.


Entries: King Cotton S.

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, January 28, 2023, Race 8

  • STK
  • 6f
  • Dirt
  • $150,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 3:50 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Tejano Twist (KY) Francisco Arrieta 124 Chris A. Hartman 5/1
2 2Miles Ahead (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Martin Garcia 119 Paul J. McGee 6/1
3 3Flash of Mischief (KY) Cristian A. Torres 124 Karl Broberg 9/5
4 4Long Range Toddy (KY) Rafael Bejarano 117 Dallas Stewart 20/1
5 5Gar Hole (AR) John R. Velazquez 124 John Alexander Ortiz 12/1
6 6Radical Right (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 117 Peter Miller 12/1
7 7Gunite (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 121 Steven M. Asmussen 7/5
8 8Ultimate (KY) David Cabrera 117 Timothy E. Martin 20/1