Lawyer Ron Takes Arkansas Derby

2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park

The 2008 Breeders' Cup, thoroughbred racing's most prestigious event, consisting of 14 Breeders' Cup races and $25.5 million in purses, will be held on October 24-25, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

But before that, Belmont Stakes winner Da'Tara is going to race in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course while Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown will be racing in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Posted on Monday, April 17th, 2006

Lawyer Ron, who finished 2-3/4 lengths ahead of the late-charging runner-up Steppenwolfer, won the Grade II Arkansas Derby race at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., in a time of 1:51.38.

Ridden by John McKee, the chestnut colt grabbed the lead along the backstretch and was never seriously threatened while winning his sixth straight race. Private Vow finished third in the 13-horse race, 1-1/2 lengths in back of Steppenwolfer.

"He got real aggressive with me going into the turn. Fortunately enough there was some room to get through the hole, and he just kind of took over the race," McKee said. "I thought I would be third or fourth, mid-pack. We had to go to Plan B after that."

Plan B led to the same result as usual. Lawyer Ron moved ahead at the start of the backstretch and never looked back, winning the $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday for his sixth straight victory. Trainer Bob Holthus‘ chestnut colt is now 7-for-7 lifetime on dirt — and remains one of the favorites to win three weeks from now at Churchill Downs.

Lawyer Ron had already won Oaklawn Park’s first two big prep races for 3-year-olds — the Southwest in February and the Rebel (gr. III) last month. He was a heavy favorite all week and paid $3.00, $2.60 and $2.20.

The last two Arkansas Derby winners — Smarty Jones in 2004 and Afleet Alex last year — each went on to win two legs of the Triple Crown. Holthus hopes Lawyer Ron can continue the trend.

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"Lawyer Ron Takes Arkansas Derby" was posted on Monday, April 17th, 2006 at 9:38 am and is filed under Horses, Kentucky Derby, Oaklawn Park, Stakes Races. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.