HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Lambeth made his first start at a marathon distance a winning one Friday, leading through three turns to win the $200,000 Temperence Hill on the first day of the Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn Park. He won by 3 1/2 lengths over Game Warden, while it was another 9 3/4 lengths back in third to Time for Trouble.
The Temperence Hill, a 1 1/2-mile race for 4-year-olds and up, was the first of six stakes to be run over the local strip through Sunday. The richest is the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday. There are also four overnight stakes for a total of $3.9 million in festival offerings this week.
The Temperence Hill shared a card with the $145,000 LaPatourel, an overnight stakes won by Rose Palace ($44.20).
Lambeth ($6) moved to the fore soon after the start of the Temperence Hill and proceeded to control the pace through fractions of 24.19 for the opening quarter, 49.09 for the half-mile, 1:14.24 for six furlongs, and 1:40.51 for the mile. Lambeth had more through the lane and finished up with good energy while covering the distance on a track rated good in 2:31.88.
Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard for trainer Joe Sharp.
"When he crossed under the wire there, he looked like he was looking for more," Hernandez said in an interview conducted by Oaklawn.
Carl Moore owns Lambeth, a son of Arrogate who is from the female family of the Grade 1 winners Sightseek and Tates Creek. The horse came into the Temperence Hill off a win in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Oaklawn.
In the LaPatourel, Rose Palace was with the pace early and conceded the lead to Miss Hebrides, who set fractions of 23.99 for the opening quarter, 47.71 for the half-mile, and 1:12.80 for six furlongs. The eventual winner rallied in the stretch and covered the 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares on a track rated good in 1:45.59.
Rose Palace won by 2 1/4 lengths over In Just My Heels. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third to Miss Hebrides.
Francisco Arrieta was aboard Rose Palace for trainer Tammy Hornsby. The daughter of Palace races for Odis Grimes Jr.
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