Hymn Book arrived at Oaklawn Park for the Oaklawn Handicap
The 6-year-old Claude R. McGaughey III trained gelding, Hymn Book, arrived from Florida to Kentucky and from there to Oaklawn Park via airplane to run in the Grade 2, $400,000 Oaklawn Handicap on 8 April, 2012, a race that has reeled in 8, 4-year-old and above colts and geldings to contest over a distance of 1 1/8 miles over the venue’s dirt course.
Nehro, who missed the New Orleans Handicap due to a “tied muscle” will also start in the Oaklawn Handicap, along with the winner of the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park, Alternation, and the 2011 winner of the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, Win Willy.
Bob Baffert trained, Prayer for Relief, is the only runner in the Oaklawn Handicap lineup, who isn’t exiting a victory in the race, as he will try to bounce back from a dull 12th place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
Coming off a victory in the Grade 2 General George Stakes, Yawanna Twist, is looking good, but the gelding who will try to upset the Oaklawn Handicap will be the son of Maria’s Mon, Don Dulce, for owner Michael Langford.
He won the Oaklawn Park’s allowance race on 4 March, 2012, but the Distorted Humor horse, Endorsement will look to bag this one after a successful run in a Gulfstream Park allowance/optional claimer 1 February, 2012, because he will be fresh coming into the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap.
The Kentucky bred son of Arch, out of mare Vespers by Known Fact, Hymn Book won his first grade 1 race of his career when he downed the Donn Handicap to kick off the new season.
“He went through a lot to get that win,” said Anna Martinovsky. “He had every excuse to say, ‘I’m done,’ and he didn’t. He just doesn’t take it from anybody.”
“I think the reason he gets a lot of time between races is because he does give you his all,” Martinovsky said. “He’ll take a little time to recover and he’ll let us know when he’s ready again.”
Hymn Book will try to get all of his experience going to bag two back to back races, and on top of that graded stakes races.
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