Levy Trail Loop

 I walked the Levy Trail Loop this morning in 33:14.

Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South on this damp, cool, overcast morning in 31:24. ...By the way, the DFL Green Bay Packers lost in the semifinal round to the Fat Chicks, 126-102. My team had a nice season. As for the NFL Packers, this is one of those years they have a reasonable chance to win the Super Bowl. Home-field advantage through the playoffs will help a lot. For one, they will have to win two rather than three NFC tournament games. The other is that they have the best all-time NFL home-field playoff record.

Levy Trail 5K

 I walked the Levy Trail 5K this morning in 47:55, with splits of 15:47, 15:20, and 15:21. I went through three miles in 46:28. To take advantage of this recent climate-change perk, I turned my heater off, a window fan on, and opened all my windows two days ago. It has since remained 65-70°F in my house.

Lakewood Lake No. 2

 An old Hash friend of Elaine's and mine named Rachel walked with us this morning from Lakewood Lake No. 2. I hadn't seen her since something like 2015. She is forever pleasant.

Levy Trail South/Levy Trail Loop

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 33:30. ...Tonight, I walked the Levy Trail Loop in 34:35.

Lakewood

 I walked for a bit on my own and then quite a lot with three other Geezers this morning. In all, I was out from Lakewood Lake No. 2 for 1:30:36. That should help make room for fried chicken wings, mashed potatoes and gravy (the wonderful flour-milk-and-fried-chicken-grease kind I have mastered over the last year), and fresh fried okra.

Levy Trail South

I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 30:33. ...By the way, I got my Pfizer Covid booster Monday. My shoulder was sorer than two motherfuckers through Wednesday evening.

Levy Trail North/DFL

 I walked Levy Trail North this morning in 29:57. My splits were 15:47 and 14:10. ...The DFL Green Bay Packers are in the semifinal round of the playoffs. My best, most consistent player—Austin Ekeler, a running back for the LA Chargers—has Covid and likely won't play Sunday. Even if he does, Walt Webb's team will be hard to beat. ...The NFL Packers are 11-3 and, with three games to play, have a one-game lead for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. ...A fantasy football media woman interviewed Ekeler this afternoon. He sounded sick and said he felt awful. He said he doubted he would play Sunday. ...Rats.

Burns Park Tournament Course/Levy

I walked a rather random route south of my house in Levy tonight for 39:45. ...This morning and early afternoon, John and I played Burns Park Tournament Course. I scored 96, with nines of 43 and 53. I used 29 putts. John scored 101.

Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 34:04.

Levy Trail Loop

 I walked Levy Trail Loop this morning in 31:27.

Oaklawn/Levy Trail North/Hash/Joe report

 It's cold, 36°F at 9:22 a.m. I  alternated four-minute walks with one-minute jogs to complete Levy Trail North this morning in 29:13. Last night, I took the long way to my car from the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort press box to my 2000 Crown Vic (which is, by the way, in stellar mechanical condition). That walk lasted a little over 39 minutes. ...Please don't tell the Green Bay Packers, but I missed the first half of their game this afternoon so that I could spend 1:38:16 on a Hash run this afternoon. We ran from Merriweather Park in Little Rock, not far from Z-Man's house. ...Joe has allowed me to get up first for at least the last two weeks. Maybe three.

Ghetto Cat Loop

 I walked the Ghetto Cat Loop this morning in 32:47. ...Yesterday morning, John, Ed, and I played Burns Park Tournament Course. I scored 92, with nines of 46 and 46. I sued 30 putts. John scored 86 and Ed 89.

Levy Trail Loop

I walked the Levy Trail Loop this evening in 32:52.

OVERHEARD "If you want your french fries air-fried, go on ahead, but they ain't for me."

— a security guard at Edward's CashSaver with several anti-air-fryer customers 

Burns Park Championship Course

 Ed, John, and I played Burns Park Championship Course. I scored 92, with nines of 52 and 40. I used 32 putts. Oh. I had two birdies on the back nine, one w/ a 25-foot putt, the other w/ an uphill 60-yard gap-wedge to two feet. Ed scored 88 and John 93.

Orange Street Loop

 I walked the Orange Street Loop this morning in 46:38, with splits of 15:34, 15:51, and 15:13. I am not sure how long it has been since I last walked this loop but will put the over-under at exactly three years (I worked on this for two or three minutes while on this loop). Let's see: Nope, it was two and one-half years. I last walked it on June 9, 2019, when I alternated one-minutes jogs with four-minute walks to complete it in 41:50. ...If any of my readers want to know minor details of the most important thing in my life, read this: The Democrat Football League Green Bay Packers, at 9-4,  began the final game of the regular season Thursday in third place in our fourteen-team league. We're a playoff lock, but a win would greatly aid our chance to make at least the semifinals, where we would likely play the second-place Fat Chicks, who have fallen to late-season injuries. That would give us our best opportunity to make the Cooper Bowl. According to Yahoo's® computer projection, we are currently 122.46-119.99 underdogs in our game against the Sherwood Shigellas (I wonder if the Asian-looking woman I knew in Sherwood remembers how often I pointed out the home of Shigellas' owner David Barham, who also lived in Sherwood and whose condominium was on a route she [and also occasionally her husband] and I walked fifteen years ago).

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort

 HOT SPRINGS—I walked to and throughout Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort this afternoon from my car to the press box. The trip took me 39:36. ...I tried to make a $5 bet on the race described below, but I bought my ticket from an automated teller and hit an incorrect number. Immediately afterward, a human teller was unable to change it before the race started, and she handed me a refund. Consequently, I remain $2 down for the season. ... The following lead written prerace does not demand Super Stock win, but that would help:

HOT SPRINGS — A deferral to World War II made way for Super Stock, the first of 87 horses to race at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in December of the same year they won the Arkansas Derby.

 I had to use a shoehorn, but I worked it in:

PETE PERKINS

HOT SPRINGS — A deferral to World War II made way for Super Stock, the first of 87 horses to race at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in December of the same year they won the Arkansas Derby.

Super Stock’s Arkansas Derby victory came at 12-1 odds. This time, he fell short as the 5-2 second-choice. Last Samurai, ridden at 4-1 by Jon Court and trained by Dallas Stewart, won by 3/4-lengths over second-place Super Stock in the first running of the $150,000 1-mile-and-1/16th Poinsettia Stakes for three-year-old horses before an estimated crowd of 7,500 at Oaklawn on Saturday.

“He just keeps trying,” Court said. “He’s a great horse to ride. He’s fun to ride. We just needed everything to fall into place, and it did today.”

Last Samurai’s winning time was 1:43.70.

Flash of Mischief finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind Super Stock and 2 3/4 lengths ahead of fourth-place Defeater, the 2-1 favorite.

On behalf of a request from the U.S. Department of State, horse racing across the country was postponed through the spring and summer of 1945 for the final allied efforts to end World War II. Oaklawn rescheduled its 30-day meet that year to November and December, and there was no Arkansas Derby, which led to Super Stock’s new stature as a racing artifact despite his runner-up finish in the Poinsettia.

Last Samurai ran fourth, five lengths off Flash of Mischief’s lead through the opening quarter-mile in 23.90, with Myopic in second and Super Stock third, 1 1/2 lengths behind the leader.

Last Samurai finished fifth in this year’s Arkansas Derby, 10 lengths behind Super Stock.

At the half, Flash of Mischief maintained his lead. Last Samurai remained in fourth but had moved within four lengths of the leader. Erv Woolsey’s and Keith Asmussen’s Super Stock, ridden by Luis Contreras from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, was third, 2 1/2 lengths off the lead and a length behind Myopic, ridden by David Cohen and trained by Robertino Diodoro.

Jerry Namy’s Flash of Mischief, the 3-1 third choice ridden by Ramon Vazquez from the barn of Karl Broberg, led through six furlongs in 1:13.45 — a length in front of Myopic, still second. Flash of Mischief’s lead was intact by half a length over the eventual winner as the field turned for its stretch run.

Speed near the lead has commonly held well at Oaklawn through several recent seasons, a trend that has stayed in place. It was due at least in part to a speedy racetrack, made evident Friday by a six-year-old gelding named Hollis, ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and trained by John Ortiz, who sprinted from just off the pace in second to win a 5-1/2-furlong race in 1:02.17.

“Just where we were, the fractions were perfect for Hollis,” said Ortiz on Friday. “Sitting just off that pace was the best thing.”

Hollis’ time shattered the track record of 1:02.60 set by Sis Pleasure Fager on Feb. 15, 1984, long before racing at Oaklawn began in December.

Myopic would fade to sixth in the Poinsettia’s field of seven, 6 3/4 lengths behind the winner in a race on a day that seemed to favor no particular style.

For a change, a favorable position late held little promise of success.

“I think [the track] has been playing pretty fair,” Diodoro said. “There’s been some horses go wire-to-wire and some come from left field today. I think it’s been a real fair racetrack so like I said, no excuse.”

Last Samurai carried his momentum from the turn to put a nose in front of Super Stock 1/8th of a mile from the wire. He stretched his lead on the most recent Arkansas Derby winner as the two pulled away from Flash of Mischief toward the finish of one of four new stakes races scheduled for Oaklawn’s December start to the 2021-22 season.

“I had so much horse turning for home,” Luis Contreras said. “He ran his race the whole way. I just got outrun.”

Stewart was impressed by his colt’s return to Oaklawn.

“[Last Samurai is] really a nice horse,” he said. “Last trip at Oaklawn [for the Arkansas Derby], he ran a big race. Got in trouble, but we really like him. I liked him in the spot today, and he had a good trip. I think he’s going to be a real nice four-year-old.”

Ridden by Court, 61, and owned by Willis Horton, 81 of Marshall, Last Samurai’s performance was perhaps a triumph for geriatric horsemen.

Horton, before his 2 1/2-hour ride home, praised Court.

“I’ve known him for 50 or 60 years,” he said. “He’s a guy who can get the job done. He’s strong, and you know he’s in good shape. A lot of people don’t like him because [they think] he’s too old, but I know he’s not.”

After the race, Court walked from the paddock to the jockey’s dressing room. He crossed paths with Florent Geroux, who would ride in the final race.

“Not bad for an old guy,” Geroux said.

Court laughed.

“That doesn’t bother me at all,” he said.

Burns Park Championship Course

 Ed and I played Burns Park Championship Course this morning and early afternoon. I scored 95 and Ed 92. I had nines of 45 and 50 and used 35 putts,.

Levy Trail North/Burns Park Championship Course

 I walked Levy Trail North this morning in 33:04 as a warmup for a cold round of golf with Ed Pennington. ...Ed and I played Burns Park Championship Course. I scored 93 and Ed 88.

Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South early this afternoon in 34:something.

Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS—I took the long way to my car tonight from the Oaklawn press box. I walked for 38:07. ...I made my first bet of the season today and lost $2.

Levy Trail Loop/Oaklawn

 HOT SPRINGS—I walked for 42:15 through the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort building and over a few blocks of neighborhoods west of Central Avenue late this morning before I wrote two, c. 800-word stories. The first was an advance story to journalistically market the first running of the Mistletoe Stakes for three-year-old fillies, which had a bit of an opening-day feature built into it. Then I wrote a race story for the Advent Stakes for two-year-old horses. Combined, they are an eight-minute read. I haven't reread them but feel confident they will not embarrass me. ...Yesterday, I walked the Levy Trail Loop in 35:45. ...By the way, solely because my laptop rewrote a typo to read "catalyst," I wrote the word for the first time ever in Story No. 1. I'm not sure I have ever said catalyst. I won't likely ever know, but I believe there is a reasonable chance a college-schooled journalism major (I am the only one I know to have worked for a newspaper who is not) will strike the word from my story. Truth is, I kind of reached to whittle it in place.

PETE PERKINS

HOT SPRINGS — Three-year-old filly Semble Juste stood in her stall, her salmon-pink gums aimed at an onlooker’s hand, which, unfortunately for her, was free of snacks. At 9 a.m. Friday, she seemed aware of nothing else but the treat-free palm, including the bubbling furor of opening day all around her.

After all, opening day for Semble Juste, a daughter of the Irish sire Shalaa, comes today, when she and stablemate Oliviaofthedesert are entered to race in the first running of the $150,000 1-mile-and-1/16th Mistletoe Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.

Post time for the feature, the ninth of 10 races on the card, is scheduled for 4:13 p.m.

As 86-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas sat on his pony late in the morning training session, eager to escort a racehorse to the track, he sounded sympathetic to Semble Juste’s indifference.

“When you’re 86, you don’t get excited about much anymore, including opening day,” Lukas said. “I get excited about the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup, and that’s about it.”

Cold early-morning fog had responded to the catalyst of warmth and risen into the overcast sky. The clump and click of horse hooves on dirt and asphalt, respectively, highlighted the soundtrack of opening day on the backside. Despite Semble Juste’s equine apathy, excitement among horsemen was evident.

“I thought it was a little bit dull around here until this morning,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said. “This morning, you can tell it’s opening day. Everyone’s excited. Everyone’s a little more pumped up. Even yesterday, at feed time last night, you could tell the helpers were getting a little revved up and stuff, and that’s continued this morning.”

Commonly referred to among horsemen and fans alike as the earliest opening race date since racing at Oaklawn began 117 years and 10 months ago, Friday was in fact the latest date for opening day. According to press accounts, the 1945 fall season — moved from the spring in deference to the final months of World War II — extended until December 8.

Lukas said it was high time for December racing at Oaklawn. He said he had long recommended the change to Oaklawn president Louis Cella.

“Every year, I’ve said they needed to start in December,” Lukas said. “I even kidded Louis about it. I said, ‘I’m glad to see we finally got together on this.’ ’’

Lukas, like everyone, has noticed nearly universal approval for the late early start.

“None of my colleagues are negative about this,” Lukas said. “None of them.”

Diodoro said it’s different from seasons past, when shippers from Kentucky had to wait seven weeks or more to race. For this season, the wait lasted five days.

“It does make it a little more of a rush,” Diodoro said. “Our foreman and the last couple of grooms just got here last night from Kentucky, but at the same time, I’m not complaining. I’m definitely excited about starting this early. Anytime you can run at Oaklawn and be in Hot Springs longer, that’s a good thing.”

Steeped in stakes experience, including a fourth-place finish in Oaklawn’s Grade III 1-mile-1/16th Honeybee Stakes on March 6 last season, Susan Moulton’s Oliviaofthedesert, 15 4-1-3, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Mistletoe.

Trainer Kenny McPeek, with horses stabled for a full season at Oaklawn for the first since 2017, said Olviaofthedesert’s consistency has served her well.

“She’s been really solid all year long,” McPeek said. “She’s a filly that seems to be going in the right direction.”

Oliviaofthedesert, a daughter of Bernardini, was sent into her three-year-old campaign off a win as the favorite in the 1-mile Trapeze Stakes last December at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. She has three turf starts this year, including a seventh-place finish, 4 /12 lengths behind the winner in a field of 11, in the Grade III 1-mile-and-1/16th Valley View Stakes at Keeneland Race Course on Oct. 29. The Mistletoe comes as her first start since the race at Keeneland.

David Cabrera is listed to ride Oliviaofthedesert.

David Cohen has agreed to ride Semble Juste, 12 2-1-2 and the 8-1 morning-line sixth choice, in her first stakes start.

“The filly has run really well,” McPeek said. “She deserves a shot at the black type, which is really what we’re after.”

Brad Cox trains Madaket Stables’, Wonder Stables’, and 4K2 Stables’ Marion Francis, 10 3-3-3, by Constitution, the 4-1 second-choice in the program. Marion Francis, with Francisco Arrieta set to ride, won her last start in a $100,000 1-mile-and-1/16th optional-claiming race at Keeneland on Oct. 21.

James Rogers’ and Michael Robinson’s Kavod won the opening-day feature, the 6-furlong Advent Stakes for two-year-old horses before an estimated crowd of 15,000 at Oaklawn on Friday.

Six hours earlier, Diodoro fretted over a chance for wet weather today, and he said his concern had nothing to with the quality of the track.

“I’m thinking about the fans,” he said. “I hope we can have nice weather for them tomorrow.”

PETE PERKINS

HOT SPRINGS — Experience paid off for a two-year-old claimer in the first feature race of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort’s latest opening day.

James Rogers’ and Michael Robinson’s Kavod, ridden by Francisco Arrieta and trained by Chris Hartman, won the first running of the $150,000 6-furlong Advent Stakes for two-year-old horses in 1:09.97 before an estimated crowd of 15,000 at Oaklawn on Friday, the first day of the racetrack’s 2021-22 season.

Kavod, off at 3-1, finished as a one-length winner over second-place Higher Standard, the 4-5 favorite ridden by Florent Geroux. Tom Amoss trains High Standard, a son of Into Mischief and maternal grandson of Northern Afleet who raced in the Advent a mere 19 days after she won her first career start at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24.

Four-1 third-choice Cairama, ridden from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen by Ricardo Santana, Jr., finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Higher Standard and 1 1/2 lengths in front of fourth-place Ruggs, off at 12-1 under jockey Martin Garcia. Ruggs is trained by Ron Moquett.

Kavod, 9 3-0-0, had one more career start than any other entrant in the eight-horse field. His starts included four consecutive out-of-the-money finishes in four graded-stakes races, including a last-place finish behind five others in the Grade I 1-mile Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct in New York on Oct. 2. The Champagne is one of 10 U.S. Kentucky Derby qualifying races for two-year-olds.

After those starts, Kavod was entered as a $50,000-claimer in a 6-furlong start at Churchill Downs on Nov. 20.

Hartman filed a claim for Kavod’s current owners. After the race, which Kavod won in 1:08.20, Hartman walked away with the winner.

Hartman said he thought he would take a shot at the Advent.

“He came out of his last race really good,” he said. “This race didn’t look like it was overly stacked, so we took a chance, and it paid off.”

Geroux, a handful of minutes after his finish on the beaten favorite, figuratively bowed to Kavod’s experience as he paused in the paddock on his way to the jocks’ room.

“The winner, he’s a horse with a lot of experience,” Geroux said. “He came out of a very strong race at Churchill. It was claiming, but he won very decisively, but he’s just a more experienced horse. Our horse has only run one time, shipped straight from Churchill to here. Short rest. We had a couple of things going against us.”

Regardless of his experience, with eight previous career starts, compared to one for each of the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers, Kavod willingly ran into trouble just past the quarter-mile split of 21.61, when he was third behind race-leader Oro Azteca and Higher Standard, who was tucked near the rail.

Under Arrieta’s command, Kavod slowed to avoid contact with Higher Standard, a hesitation that allowed Rugg to move into third. It also positioned Kavod for whatever acceleration he was capable of.

Which, on this particular date, the latest on the calendar to serve as Oaklawn’s opening day, was a lot.

Kavod dug in and raced between and past Oro Azteca, who led through the half in 44.96 but would fade to last, and Ruggs, who Kavod passed near the head of the stretch. Kavod chased Higher Standard’s lead past the one-eighth pole. With one-sixteenth of a mile left, he passed Higher Standard and pulled away through the wire.

“He broke good,” Arrieta said. “A couple of horses went to the lead. I tried to relax him. When he was stopped behind horses, he was a little green. At the quarter pole, he may have been in a little bit of trouble. Finally, he came back and I went for the space. When I asked him, he ran. Great job. Great horse.”

On Wednesday, Amoss said he wondered how Higher Standard would respond to a trip from New Orleans and the relatively short break between starts. He said the latter was his primary concern. With that declaration in mind, Amoss said he was happy with his colt’s second-place finish.

“The horse ran well,” Amoss said. “We came back a little quick with him in the race, and the ship, and maybe that cost him a little bit in the end, but I was pleased with the way he ran.”

Like parents of young children, trainers tend to applaud improvement and any hint of talent displayed by their two-year-old horses.

Moquett seemed delighted by Ruggs’ fourth-place performance, which came after the son of Gun Runner’s only previous start, a win over 6 1/2 furlongs at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on Nov. 15.

“It’s a step forward,” Moquett said. “He’s an immature colt. This is his second race, and I think he ran greenly but showed some talent. That’s all we can ask right now. He’ll keep moving forward.”

Ten minutes after Kavod’s victory, Hartman hesitantly said he might, perhaps think about the consideration of a longer race for his winner, but that he thought a better target for Kavod was the possibility of continued sprint success.

“I like to run, so there’s always a chance [Kavod will go longer],” Hartman said. “I like to run and he likes to run, but I believe I’ll sprint him.”

 

 

Levy Trail South

 I walked Levy Trail South this morning in 34:45.