Page 9 - David Cabrera News Today

Defining Purpose has been installed the 7-5 program favorite for the inaugural $150,000 Year’s End Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Saturday at Oaklawn.

“Cody’s been a very successful trainer,” Castle said. “Knows the industry well, knows the condition book well. Very bright and I just thought it would be a very good marriage. I thought Cody would be a very good person for Cristian, vice versa, and I just wanted to focus every capacity on Ramon.”

Wildatlanticstorm, a two-time stakes winner and victor in the richest race for 2-year-olds at Remington Park, the $400,000 Springboard Mile, has been voted the Horse of the Meet for the recently completed 2022 Thoroughbred season.

The top jockey at Remington Park earns the Pat Steinberg Award, named after the track’s all-time leading jockey at the time of his passing in 1993.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 2020, is off to a fast start at the 2022-2023 meet, picking up his second stakes win since the Dec. 9 opening and his second straight $200,000 Tinsel Stakes victory on Saturday with John Holleman’s Bal Harbour.

Pretty Birdie broke first from the gate, never appeared stressed, and made her 2-length win look easy Saturday during the $150,000 5 1/2-furlong Poinsettia Stakes at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.

Pretty Birdie and jockey David Cabrera are back, and Oaklawn racing stands to gain.

Two six-figure stakes and the Oaklawn return of last years Arkansas Derby runner-up highlight the tracks second Saturday of racing.

Tom Durant’s promising Run Classic is the 8-5 program favorite for his scheduled Oaklawn debut in Saturday’s second running of the $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

Casse said some of his most promising 2-year-olds are for a new client, prominent Arkansas owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong.