The Arkansas stakes series for fillies and mares leading toward the April 15 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) continues Jan. 7 when Oaklawn Park hosts the $150,000 Pippin Stakes.
The 1 1/16-mile race precedes the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) on Feb. 4 and the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) on March 11. From these races, some of the top finishers pursue the $1 million Apple Blossom, which like the Bayakoa, Azeri, and Pippin, is 1 1/16 miles.
Four of the 10 Pippin entrants—Lovely Ride, Coach, Will's Secret, and Le Da Vida—already have stakes experience at Oaklawn this winter, having finished first through fourth in the sloppy Mistletoe Stakes Dec. 10. The Mistletoe was the initial stakes route for older females at the winter/spring meet at Oaklawn.
The Pippin quartet is joined by a number of fillies and mares rising in class, plus Shortleaf Stable's Ice Orchid, the runner-up in the Nov. 19 Chilukki Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Ice Orchid, a 4-year-old Super Saver filly trained by John Ortiz, appears likely to drop from her 12-1 morning line.
Masaiva Inc.'s Le Da Vida (Gemologist), upset as the favorite when racing over a wet track for the first time in the Mistletoe, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite, just ahead of John Holleman, Flying P Stable, and Larry Nafe's Lovely Ride (Candy Ride ) at 3-1.
Video: Mistletoe S. (BT)
Lovely Ride led from start to finish in the Mistletoe, crossing the wire 3 1/2 lengths clear of Kueber Racing's Coach, who chased throughout. A now-5-year-old Commissioner mare, Coach won the 2022 Pippin for trainer Brad Cox.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas adds blinkers to Willis Horton Racing's graded stakes winner Will's Secret after her even third-place finish in the Mistletoe. The grade 1-placed Will Take Charge filly won the Honeybee Stakes (G3) as a 3-year-old filly at Oaklawn in 2021 for then-trainer Dallas Stewart.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, January 7, 2023, Race 9Entries: Pippin S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Traverse (KY) Francisco Arrieta 122 Riley Mott 8/1 2 2Le Da Vida (CHI) Vincent Cheminaud 119 Ignacio Correas, IV 2/1 3 3Lovely Ride (KY) Cristian A. Torres 122 Robertino Diodoro 3/1 4 4Family Time (KY) Isaac Castillo 115 Martin Villafranco 20/1 5 5Ice Orchid (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 John Alexander Ortiz 12/1 6 6Graysonsmacho Gal (KY) Gabriel Saez 115 John Alexander Ortiz 15/1 7 7Coach (KY) Joseph Talamo 122 Brad H. Cox 7/2 8 8Misty Veil (KY) Florent Geroux 115 Michael J. Maker 15/1 9 9Will's Secret (KY) David Cabrera 122 D. Wayne Lukas 10/1 10 10Forever Dreaming (MD) Mickaelle Michel 115 D. Wayne Lukas 20/1
