hair cut line a familiar face on this year’s Triple Crown trail, gearing up for a return to action in Arkansas at Oaklawn Park.
Sixth place finisher in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and seventh place finisher in the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1), Barber Road heading for $200,000 Tinsel Stakes on December 17 in First time starting since then Triple Crown, according to coach John Ortiz. Tinsel is 1 1/8 mile long, for kids ages 3 and up, has the same tracks and rides as 3-year-olds Race day foal finished second in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in the spring. He also succeeded in three other races at Oaklawn in early 2022.
“He is having a lot of close calls at Oaklawn,” said Ortiz, who coaches the 3-year-old gray boy for former Walmart executive William Simon’s WSS Racing. “We have to help him win the race where he’s shown so well. We know he loves the track, so we’re excited to go ahead and start with him. All all of his trainings are on schedule. We’re basically working backwards from the 17th.”
Ortiz said Barber Road’s primary local target is the $1 million Oaklawn (G2) Handicap on older horses at 1 1/8 mile on April 22. Tinsel will act as bridge for local major Oaklawn Handicap preparations such as the $600,000 Razor Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on February 18 and the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on March 18.
With a 2-4-1 record in 10 starts with earnings of $685,720, Barber Road also qualified for the allowance contest.
After finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby and competing in the 1-and-a-half-mile Belmont, Barber Road was sent to WinStar Ranch in Kentucky for an extended vacation, Ortiz said. Ortiz said Barber Road has grown physically strong during his break, gaining about 200 pounds and filling in a frame that his trainer describes as immature.
“He’s made a huge change physically from the summer, which is something I’d like to see. Nice to see how he can improve,” Ortiz said.
Barber Road resumed training around Labor Day at the Thoroughbred Center in Central Kentucky and returned to the work tab on October 9. He recorded four other published workouts at the Purebred Center strains before moving to Oaklawn earlier this month. In his first local breeze of the season in Oaklawn, Barber Road ran half a mile at: 49 May, 23 November.
“Things were really 100% on time for Oaklawn, which was our main goal and intention from the start, after we got rid of him this summer,” Ortiz said. “After Belmont, my intention was to give him the rest of the year off and then bring him back and maneuver him extremely hard through Oaklawn and keep him going. Obviously, the goal. Our main goal will ultimately be to, hopefully, one day achieve that goal.” Breeder’s Cup.”
Nominated for Tinsel November 2nd. 2nd place winner of many millionaires lone stone won Tinsel’s first run last year for 2020 Oaklawn coaching champion Robertino Diodoro.
Ortiz is Oaklawn’s fourth-place co-coach in 2021-22 with 27 wins. He has 36 booths this season in Oaklawn.
This press release has been edited by BloodHorse Staff for content and style.
