Giant Expectations Sets Sights on Oaklawn Handicap
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Photo: Coady Photography
Giant Expectations trains April 11 at Oaklawn Park
Giant Expectations will look to live up to his moniker and bring home his first graded score in more than a year when he takes on a field of nine in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 13 at Oaklawn Park.
Campaigned by Exline-Border Racing, Gatto Racing, and Garrett Zubok, the 6-year-old son of Frost Giant has hit the board in two starts this year for trainer Peter Eurton, finishing third in both the Feb. 2 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park and March 16 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn.
Winless in four starts in 2018, Giant Expectations last visited the winner's circle in December 2017, when he closed his 4-year-old season with a gate-to-wire run in the San Antonio Stakes (G2), defeating 2018 champion older male Accelerate by 3 1/4 lengths.
The co-highweight and 3-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday's race, Giant Expectations will break from post 6 with Joel Rosario in the irons.
Joining Giant Expectations in the 1 1/8-mile test will be a pair of American classic placers, beginning with Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Tenfold, who will be making his first trip to Oaklawn since finishing fifth in last year's Arkansas Derby (G1).
A 4-year-old son of Curlin , Tenfold performed admirably in the races following the Arkansas Derby, finishing third in the May 19 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course and fifth in the June 9 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Belmont Park behind Triple Crown winner Justify . One start later, he won the July 28 Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) at Saratoga Race Course over the Oaklawn Handicap distance but ended his sophomore season with an off-the-board run in the Aug. 25 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Tenfold recently finished fourth in an optional-claiming allowance race March 5 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Tenfold will break from the rail under Ricardo Santana Jr.
Asmussen also will send out 2017 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) runner-up Lookin At Lee, who enters off a second to Oaklawn Handicap rival Remembering Rita in a March 9 optional-claiming allowance race at Oaklawn. That 1 1/16-mile effort marked the first start for Lookin At Lee since July.
The field also includes Quip, who finished eighth in the Preakness last year. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset and owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing, the Distorted Humor colt finished second in last year's Arkansas Derby—his only start at Oaklawn. In his most recent start, Quip finished third in the one-mile Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) Feb. 23 at Gulfstream Park.
Rounding out the former classic runners is GMB Racing's Lone Sailor. Making his first trip to Oaklawn, the Tom Amoss trainee was a model of consistency as a 3-year-old, hitting the board in several graded stakes of varying distances. Although he finished fifth in the Preakness, Lone Sailor took second in the March 24 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, third in the July 29 betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, and second in the Sept. 2 Super Derby (G3) at Louisiana Downs.
Lone Sailor finally took home winning honors in the Sept. 30 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park before ending the year with a sixth-place finish in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. The son of Majestic Warrior enters the Oaklawn Handicap off a third-place run in the March 23 New Orleans Handicap (G2) at Fair Grounds. He will break from post 8 and partner with Flavien Prat.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, April 13, 2019, Race 9Entries: Oaklawn H. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Tenfold (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
117
Steven M. Asmussen
7/2
2
2Pioneer Spirit (KY)
Luis Saez
114
Brad H. Cox
10/1
3
3Chris and Dave (KY)
Ramon A. Vazquez
113
Federico Villafranco
20/1
4
4Lookin At Lee (KY)
Mike E. Smith
115
Steven M. Asmussen
6/1
5
5Remembering Rita (KY)
Alex Birzer
115
Doug L. Anderson
15/1
6
6Giant Expectations (NY)
Joel Rosario
117
Peter Eurton
3/1
7
7Quip (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
116
Rodolphe Brisset
4/1
8
8Lone Sailor (KY)
Flavien Prat
116
Thomas M. Amoss
5/1
9
9Rated R Superstar (KY)
Walter De La Cruz
116
Cipriano Contreras
8/1
