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Oaklawn: Pletcher sees direction for Navistar
- Updated: January 14, 2018
The $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for three year olds going 1 mile is the feature race at Oaklawn Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The field of seven will be led to post by the 3 to 2 favorite Mourinho.
Mourinho stretches out for Baffert
In search of his second lifetime win for trainer Bob Baffert, Mourinho finished with consecutive runner-up efforts in his last two starts on the West Coast and will get blinkers back on for the Smarty Jones. The son of the 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, will be making his first start around two turns for Phoenix Thoroughbred III stables after finishing a length and a half back in second last time out to Greyvitos in the G3 Bob Hope at Del Mar. Greyvitos currently ranks ninth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leader board with 10 points earned after he won the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park in December.
Combatant seasoned at 1 Mile
Combatant will be making his fourth consecutive start at the 1 mile distance for trainer Steve Asmussen and owners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willie Horton Racing.
In his first career start the son of Scat Daddy went 1 mile at Churchill on turf, making a three-wide bid at the top of the stretch, he hung to finish fourth in September. He returned next time out to win a MSW in comfortable fashion. And finished two back of Greyvitos as the favorite in the Springboard Mile, and five clear of the third place finisher. He currently has 4 points and will be looking to add to his total Derby prep race points as he breaks from the rail under Ricardo Santana. Santana and Asmussen have teamed up for 16% winners at Oaklawn in 2017-18, but has yet to reach the winners circle at Oaklawn in nine tries this meet.
Mask provides direction for Navistar
Making his third career start and first after his maiden win, Navistar will be sent out under John Velazquez as third choice in the field by trainer Todd Pletcher for owner Robert V LaPenta. The son of Union Rags (seventh in the 2012 Kentucky Derby), began his career as the 3 to 2 favorite in a field of six going 6 1/2 at Belmont, but caught a monster in Mask and finished second.
Mask, trained by Chad Brown for Lane’s End Racing, has now won two in a row and was impressive in victory last time out in the 1 mile Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream. He is expected to make his next start in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on February 17 where the winner will claim the top prize of 50 points.
Judging by the ease with which Mask won the Macho Man, Navistar has a solid chance to earn his first points on the Derby Trail as Pletcher gets direction from the strength of his runner’s efforts in his first two starts.
