Absinthe Minded to make it right in the Apple Blossom Handicap
The 5-year-old mare D. Wayne Lukas trained, Absinthe Minded, was doing just fine when the Oaklawn Park meet started and scored twice and that too back to back, and on both occasions keeping Tiz Miz Sue at bay, but the tables were turned as Tiz Miz Sue came
back stronger in the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri Stakes and settled the score big time defeating Absinthe Minded by 5 ¾ lengths pushing her back to finish off the board at fourth on 17 March, 2012, at Oaklawn Park’s dirt course going 1 1/16 miles.
Briland Farm owned mare could return the favour in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, the feature of the Oaklawn Park meet on 13 April, 2012, going at the same distance of 1 1/16 miles, but she might have a much tougher adversary to contend with
than Tiz Miz Sue, and that is 2011 Horse of the Year, Havre de Grace.
If the weight is in favour of Havre de Grace, she will look to participate in the race said trainer Larry Jones, who trains the champion mare for owner Rick Porter.
Rewinding to the start of the season, the Kentucky bred daughter of Quiet American, out of mare Rockford Peach by Great Above, Absinthe Minded made a brilliant start as 5-year-old and owned the Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park defeating Tiz Miz Sue in second
and She’s All In in third, while covering her favoured distance of 1 1/16 miles in 1 minute and 45.27 seconds.
The same top 3 in the next start of the meet, the Bayakoa Stakes, Absinthe Minded was better than last time, taking 1.27 seconds less that the Pippin Stakes finishing time and going two in two for the new season.
According to Lukas, Absinthe Minded was a little flat in the Azeri Stakes, he was expecting the mare to show the form she had shown in her last two starts, but that fire wasn’t there this time around maybe because the last two starts had taken a little bit
out of him.
Absinthe Minded will be returning in the Apple Blossom Handicap for the second time in her career, as she finished third the last time she raced in it to winner, Havre de Grace.
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