Oxbow runs away with Lecomte

Four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas is back on the trail,

after his Oxbow romped by 11 1/2 lengths in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000

Lecomte

Stakes on "Road to the Derby Kickoff Day" at Fair Grounds. The Bluegrass

Hall colorbearer thus threw down the gauntlet for any others considering the

subsequent two preps at the historic New Orleans track, the Grade 2 Risen Star

on February 23 and the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 30.

"This horse has a beautiful stride and a high cruising speed," Lukas said.

"When you watch the replay you see his ears are pricked and he's just in a

cruising speed the whole way around there."

Oxbow was an impressive front-running maiden winner two starts back at

Churchill Downs. But next time out in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood

Park, he never made it to the front from his outside post and ended up a tiring

fourth after a wide trip.

On Saturday, Oxbow broke from post 4, and had no difficulty taking command

early with jockey Jon Court. The 9-2 third choice, Oxbow carved out fractions of

:24 2/5 and :48 2/5. Heitai, who had been stalking in second, loomed up to

engage the leader through six furlongs in 1:13 1/5. He issued a bold challenge

at the top of the stretch, and even appeared to put his head in front for a

stride or two.

But Oxbow shook him off in short order, stormed clear, and turned the race

into a rout. Three lengths clear in midstretch, he rapidly widened his advantage

en route to finishing one mile and 70 yards on the fast track in 1:43 1/5,

returning $11.20, $6 and $4.60.

Oxbow's Lecomte heroics earned him 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky

Derby. He now has a total of 11 points to his credit, having scored one with his

fourth in the CashCall Futurity.

"I actually thought I'd be one-two-three," Court said, "but Wayne said don't

be surprised if you find yourself on the lead. He just said to be relaxed and he

wanted to see him happy with a smile on in the bit, and he can win this race and

that's exactly how it turned out."

Lukas was in characteristically ebullient mood post-race.

"You guys (the media) didn't even know he was in the race, did you? If you

had to make a living handicapping, you'd all starve to death," the Hall of Fame

trainer said.

"When Jon gets back here tomorrow (to his Oaklawn Park base) I'm going to

make him give half the mount money back because he didn't have to do anything.

All he had to do is hang on.

"There is a certain amount of wisdom that he handled the surface well and

shipped well, so that gives us another option. You like to see a horse handle

the situation that you put him in. We took all the worst of it with shipping in

yesterday and taking on your local guys all coming out of their own stalls and

having works over the racetrack. So we took all of the worst of it today and

still got along pretty good. Now we're a little tighter and in a little better

shape if we come back to the Risen Star."

Golden Soul rallied from last for second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Fear the

Kitten.

"We were between horses the whole way," jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said of

Golden Soul, "although he's one of the rare few that's able to handle being

between horses the whole time.

"When I squeezed on him he picked it up nicely; the winner was just a little

more seasoned and a little bit better horse today. We ran a nice second. He

finished good and I think the distance will help him.

"The further they go the better he'll get," Hernandez added. "And it's only

his third start, so to step up like he did in the Lecomte, there's no denying

he's a good horse."

Trainer Dallas Stewart was likewise pleased with Golden Soul's effort, and

indicated that he would likely advance to the Risen Star.

"I thought he finished great," Stewart said. "It was a slow pace and he

finished well. We were second today but we'll take that.

"As long as he comes out of this in good shape, that's the way we're headed

(the Risen Star)."

Ive Struck a Nerve reported home fourth, followed by Malibu High; Circle

Unbroken; a weary Heitai, who began wandering out in the stretch; 8-5 favorite

Avie's Quality, who never looked happy in his first try on dirt; and Hawaakom.

Oxbow's resume now reads 6-2-0-1, $217,500. The $250,000 Keeneland September

yearling purchase made an inauspicious debut at Saratoga last August, where he

didn't stride out well in the early going, was pulled up, and vanned off the

track.

Next seen on October 18 at Keeneland, Oxbow flashed early speed before fading

to a distant fourth. He wheeled back just 13 days later at Churchill and turned

in a similar race, setting a contested pace only to tire to third, beaten eight

lengths by the now-sidelined Gulfport. Oxbow put it all together in his fourth

attempt on November 25, leading throughout and drawing off by 4 3/4 lengths.

"Where he goes from here is up to Brad Kelley (of Bluegrass Hall) and Wayne

Lukas, of course," Court said, "but I did see this horse progress from the first

time I got to ride him (in his loss at Keeneland). 

"In fact, the day he won I told Joe Rocco Jr. (the winning rider) that this

horse has really improved a lot and I wish I could be on his back. I said, 'You

are going to really like him,' and he went on to win. As I mentioned, the

progression he's made in his training and in his races shows that he's continued

to pursue the prestigious levels, so we'll see where he goes from here."

Bred by Colts Neck Stables in Kentucky, Oxbow is a close relative of Paynter,

last year's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational hero who riveted the nation by beating

life-threatening colitis and laminitis. Supported by the votes of his many fans,

Paynter earned both the Vox Populi Award and the NTRA Moment of the Year, for

his protracted battle.

Both are by Awesome Again and out of full sisters to Hall of Famer Tiznow,

the only two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic. Paynter is out of the

mare Tizso, while Oxbow is out of her full sister Tizamazing. The mares are

likewise full sisters to multiple Grade 2 star Budroyale, Grade 3 scorer

Tizdubai and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Tizbud.

Tizamazing has also produced Grade 3-placed stakes winner Awesome Patriot, a

full brother to Oxbow.

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