Nehro and Sabercat work ahead of their respective starts at Oaklawn Park on 14 April
Steven Asmussen’s assistant Darren Flemming took out two of Asmussen’s biggest stars of the barn for a final maintenance work before their respective starts.
Zayat Stables owned 4-year-old colt Nehro turned in his final work ahead of the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on 14 April, 2012, and in the race that he finished second last year, the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby, Sabercat the 3-year-old will make his next
start in that race at Oaklawn Park.
Winchell Thoroughbreds owned, Sabercat, will look to bounce back from his disappointing performance in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on 17 March, 2012, at about 1 1/16 miles to winner Secret Circle.
The Kentucky bred son of Bluegrass Cat, out of mare Miner’s Blessing by Forty Niner, turned in half a mile in 50 2/5 seconds. The colt capped off his 2011 season with a win in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot, which has kept him above all the
hush-hush graded stakes earnings eligibility for the Derby.
“He went good in a little half-mile,” said Flemming. “I took him down to the Delta race and I think he’s moving just as good now as he was then. Hopefully he should move forward off his last race. This is a different scenario and I expect him to run a big
race.”
On the other hand, Nehro who has done what Sabercat is out to do, has more pressing matters at hand right now. Winning an allowance/optional claimer at about 1 mile and 70 yards at Fair Grounds will look to come back to his own class in the Grade 2 Oaklawn
Handicap.
He was scratched from the New Orleans Handicap because of his muscle cramps that popped up at an inopportune time, but he is ready for the Oaklawn Handicap as he turned in five furlongs in 1 minute and 2 1/5 seconds.
“His work was nice,” said Flemming, who further went on to say about Nehro’s tied up muscle. “It was terrible. It wasn’t his first time doing it, but it just seems the hot weather and the muggy weather were the circumstances this time. He’s done much better
getting out of that.”
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