Gray Attempt Back on Track for Arkansas Derby
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Photo: Coady Photography
Gray Attempt wins the Gazebo Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Now that Gray Attempt's hind-end problems appear behind him, trainer Jinks Fires reported March 24 that he's looking ahead to the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 13 at Oaklawn Park.
Gray Attempt is back on the Arkansas Derby trail following a frontrunning, 3 1/4-length victory in the Gazebo Stakes Saturday. Ridden for the first time by Jon Court, Gray Attempt covered six furlongs over a fast track in a sharp 1:09.72 as the 8-5 favorite.
"It was pretty awesome yesterday," said Fires, who trains Gray Attempt for Dwight Pruett of Texarkana, Ark. "Made us feel a little better about going to the Arkansas Derby again."
Fires had wanted to run Gray Attempt in the split March 16 Rebel Stakes (G2)—a 1 1/16-mile race that was the final major local two-turn Arkansas Derby prep—but issues with the colt's hind end forced him to cut back to a sprint.
Gray Attempt was injured, Fires said, when he was bounced around going into the first turn of the Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 18 when he finished 11th.
"He got sore up in his back end when they put him up on the rail. He got twisted around and he hurt his back end," Fires said. "We worked on his back end, front end, and every other place, trying to get him back to where he was yesterday."
Fires said Gray Attempt's treatment included ice, whirlpool, and Epsom salt. The speedy gray colt trained a couple of days in kinesiology tape, the first time Fires said he's used the product designed to combat muscle soreness in human athletes as well as horses.
Asked if Gray Attempt came out of the Gazebo better than the Southwest, Fires said, "Certainly. It was like coming out of something nice, and the other one coming out of a war," Fires said.
In his two-turn debut, Gray Attempt won the Jan. 25 Smarty Jones Stakes, Oaklawn's first of four Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) points races. Gray Attempt concluded his 2-year-old campaign by winning the Sugar Bowl Stakes at six furlongs Dec. 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.