Oaklawn Notes
Nearly 22,000 people turned out for Oaklawn’s opening. “A packed apron watched as Swift Trieste edged Silly’s Brother in a photo finish that took several minutes for officials to decipher. When the results were known, a roar rose up from the apron that few tracks hear during a weekday program.”
—
Taking advantage of a stretch duel between Catonight and Urban Guy, Celluloid Hero charged to the front along the rail to win Oaklawn’s opening day feature, the Dixieland Stakes. “He’s a pretty nice horse,” trainer Mac Robertson said. “It set up for him. They let him through on the rail. We got a perfect trip.” Tim Ritchey’s Urban Guy finished second, while the John Servis-trained Fidrych came up for third. Servis did better in the day’s fifth race, a maiden special weight, with Jolted and Jostled overcoming a wide trip to win his third career start.
—
Menacing, one of Ritchey’s better three-year-olds, ran a disappointing tenth in Saturday’s eighth, a one-mile allowance/optional claiming. The colt dropped steadily back through the stretch after encountering a little traffic trouble while running fourth on the rail at the half.
