HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Tripolina and Pharoah’s Heart both will get the added ground their trainers want for them Sunday, when they take on probable favorite Corningstone in the $150,000 Pippin at Oaklawn Park.
The 1 1/16-mile race is for fillies and mares and the field of nine also includes Grade 2 winner Taxed, stakes winner Tapit Jenallie, and the multiple stakes-placed Neom Beach.
Corningstone defeated some of these in her last start, when she powered to a 4 1/4-length win in the $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes on Dec. 14 at Oaklawn. The one-mile race was run in the mud, and Corningstone stalked the pace and went on to secure her fourth career stakes win. She could get a similar setup behind sprint-to-route prospects Tripolina and Pharoah’s Heart.
Tripolina made her dirt debut last out in a highly rated allowance over six furlongs at Oaklawn and was second by a length to earn what ranks as this field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, an 87. Prior to the race, Tripolina’s new trainer, Chris Hartman, said he felt she might eventually like the one-mile distance at Oaklawn.
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Pharoah’s Heart is moving to two turns after consecutive allowance sprint starts at the meet, her most recent effort a runner-up finish over six furlongs Jan. 3 at Oaklawn.
“I wanted to stretch her out and the opportunity was there,” trainer David Jacobson said. “We’ll see how it turns out, and we’ll see how everybody handles the training obstacles that we’ve been dealing with,” Jacobson said, referring to a recent winter storm.
“She’s definitely as fit as anyone, if not more because she’s had two good races under her belt now, kind of back to back. I’m expecting a good performance. If it’s good enough, I guess we’ll find out.”
Pharoah’s Heart raced close to the pace in her last start, a race that went in good time. She could be showing the way Sunday, when she breaks from post 4 under Samuel Camacho Jr. Tripolina, who is a stakes winner over seven furlongs, might be in close pursuit when she breaks from post 6 under Ramon Vazquez.
Corningstone could sit just off that pair in what might be an ideal setup for the Kenny McPeek-trained runner, who will be ridden from the rail by jockey Julien Leparoux.
Taxed and Tapit Jenallie also have speed, and could settle in behind Pharoah’s Heart and Tripolina.
Taxed is coming off a runner-up finish in the Mistletoe. She could be sitting on a peak race in what will be the third start of her form cycle. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount from post 5 for trainer Randy Morse.
Tapit Jenallie can be closer to the pace than she found herself in the Mistletoe, when finishing fourth. Richard Eramia has the mount from post 7 for trainer Eddie Milligan Jr.
Neom Beach is moving back to dirt following an off-the-pace win in a turf allowance at a mile at Churchill Downs. Apprentice Erik Asmussen was aboard and the Eclipse Award finalist has the mount again Sunday from post 9.
Oaklawn is scheduled to race four days this week in a schedule that includes a Monday card on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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