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Sway Away works for Arkansas Derby; Arienza expected in Fantasy Back in March, two horses shipped to Oaklawn Park from California for the Rebel S. (G2) March 19 and were sent off as the 7-5 favorite and 9-5 second choice in the 1 1/16-mile race. The favorite, The Factor (War Front), easily won the race and went back to California to prepare for his return in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 16, while the second choice, SWAY AWAY (Afleet Alex), remained in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to lick his wounds after finishing sixth. Thursday, Sway Away, trained by Jeff Bonde, showed that he has benefited from his stay at Oaklawn by posting a good looking six-furlong workout in 1:12 3/5 as he prepares for the rematch with The Factor and several other horses from the Rebel in the Arkansas Derby. With Luis Quinonez aboard, the multiple Grade 2-placed colt moved steadily through fractions of :12 4/5, :24 3/5, :36 4/5, :49 2/5 and 1:01 before galloping out seven furlongs on the fast track in 1:25. "It was a very nice work," said Quinonez, who used to ride for Bonde when based in California. "He started off a little show like we wanted and picked it up nicely. He finished good and galloped out really good. I worked him last time also and he went in :59 (3/5 on March 31), so he's a nice horse." Sway Away will be ridden in the Arkansas Derby by Pat Valenzuela. Quinonez teams with the highly-regarded ALTERNATION (Distorted Humor), who is possible for the Arkansas Derby after flipping in the starting gate of the Rebel and being scratched. It has been an exciting winter for Quinonez, perennially one of Oaklawn's leading riders, and his younger brother Alonso, who is a jockey in Southern California. Alonso is the regular rider of Premier Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus), the morning-line favorite for Saturday's Santa Anita Derby (G1). When asked what it would be like if both he and his brother made it to the Kentucky Derby (G1), Quinonez replied, "Oh my god, that would be exciting." Meanwhile, turning to Oaklawn's three-year-old filly division, Robert and Lawana Low's royally-bred ARIENZA (Giant's Causeway) now seems poised to take on the challenge of Sunday's Fantasy S. (G2), according to trainer Danny Peitz. "It almost seems like we have to do it," Peitz said Thursday morning. "She's doing fine and I wouldn't do it if she wasn't, and with just a couple horses going, it seems like the right move." The other newsmaker already lined up for the Fantasy is JOYFUL VICTORY (Tapit), an 8 3/4-length winner of the Honeybee S. (G3) at this track and 1 1/16-mile distance on March 12. Peitz has been reluctant to commit to the Fantasy because it comes just two weeks after Arienza won her second career race and her first test around two turns. With regal breeding as the daughter of champions Giant's Causeway and three-time Apple Blossom (G1) winner Azeri, stakes races are clearly in her future, but Peitz does not want to rush things. Arienza only began her career March 6 with a snappy six-furlong victory. Peitz eyed the Instant Racing S. on April 16 as an option that would give his filly an extra week to recover and still be three weeks from the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, but a full field is a possibility there. Graded stakes earnings help determine eligibility, and the Instant Racing would not help secure a spot in an over-subscribed field. With a small group gathering for the Fantasy, Peitz sees an easy path to those all-important graded earnings. Rival trainers have been complimentary of the two-for-two filly, including the father-son team of Don and Donnie K. Von Hemel, the latter trainer of HEARTS ON FIRE (Lion Heart), who is likely for the Instant Racing because Arienza and Joyful Victory appear so imposing. Most have focused on Arienza's mom, the 2002 Horse of the Year, but Peitz returned compliments to the Von Hemels for their association with Arienza's granddam on her sire's side, Mariah's Storm, whom they trained to multiple stakes wins. "Donnie was joking about talking me into the Instant Racing because obviously he'd like to go in the Fantasy," Peitz said. "He and everybody keeps saying the Azeri in her is going to come out. I said to Donnie, 'maybe it's that grandmom that's coming out.' She was such a good mare and they did such a good job with her, and it wouldn't be a surprise if that was part of what my filly may become." Mariah's Storm won the Arlington-Washington Lassie (G2) in 1993 but fractured a cannon bone in the Alcibiades S. (G1). She was able to return from that injury and win seven more stakes as a three- and four-year-old. The Walt Disney film Dreamer was loosely based on Mariah's Storm and her comeback from that injury. Mariah's Storm has produced several stakes-caliber runners and stallions, led by Giant's Causeway, the European champion and runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in 2000.
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