Klein’s Break Even (6 for 7) heads Spring Fever

Oaklawn Park press release (Coady Photography photo of Spring Fever winning last year’s Purple Martin at Oaklawn Park)

HOT SPRINGS, AR (Friday, Feb. 28, 2020) – Speed may or may not be a good thing in the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes for older female sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn. That’s because five of the six entrants possess plenty of early gas, including Louisvillian Richard Klein’s 2-1 program favorite Break Even and defending champion Amy’s Challenge, the early 5-2 second choice.

The 5 ½-furlong Spring Fever goes as race 9 and headlines a 10-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. (Central). Probable post time for the Spring Fever is 5:09 p.m.

Amy’s Challenge is looking to rebound from a disappointing performance in the $125,000 American Beauty Stakes Feb. 1 – her first loss in seven career starts at 6 furlongs or less – finishing a weakening fourth after dueling with Mt. Brave through a :21.81 opening quarter and a :45.44 half-mile. Amy’s Challenge is reunited with jockey Alex Canchari Saturday has a favorable post draw (4), trainer Mac Robertson said, for her second start since early May.

“I think I drew outside the real speed,” Robertson said Friday morning. “It’s not like she won’t rate. But 5 ½, she’ll know how far she’s running. I was glad I didn’t get the one hole.”

Amy’s Challenge established stakes records for time (1:03.10) and margin of victory (8 ¼ lengths) in last year’s Spring Fever, when she came from just off the pace under Canchari.

Break Even, 6 for 7 overall, will be making her 4-year-old debut for trainer Brad Cox. Unraced since late August, the speedy Break Even was a front-running winner of the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes last March at Oaklawn and the $250,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) last May at Churchill Downs. She is scheduled to break from post 3.

Also inside Amy’s Challenge are stakes-winners Mt. Brave (post 2) for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and Artistic Diva, a Southern California shipper for trainer John Sadler. Artistic Diva, who drew the rail, exits a front-running 1 ¼-length allowance victory Sept. 13 at Los Alamitos. A fifth stakes winner in the field, Midnight Fantasy, also has early speed.

What a Fox will be making her stakes debut for leading trainer Robertino Diodoro and owner Lawrence P. Roman after being claimed for $50,000 Oct. 6 at Keeneland. What a Fox is 2 for 2 this year at Oaklawn, coming from just off the pace in both allowance victories.

“On paper, it’s a Quarter-Horse race,” Diodoro said Friday morning. “There’s some wicked speed in there. On paper, it looks like it sets up perfect. Unfortunately, the race is run on dirt. We’ll find out what happens.”

The Spring Fever field from the rail out: Artistic Diva, Tyler Baze to ride, 115 pounds, 9-2 on the morning line; Mt. Brave, Ricardo Santana Jr., 115, 9-2; Break Even, Joe Talamo, 115, 2-1; Amy’s Challenge, Alex Canchari, 115, 5-2; Midnight Fantasy, Martin Garcia, 115, 8-1; and What a Fox, Orlando Mojica, 122, 5-1.