NEWS
It’s a Bird swoops to dominant Oaklawn Handicap score
Posted: Saturday, April 04, 2009 9:10 PM
IT'S A BIRD
Kurtis Coady/Coady Photography
by Mike Curry
It’s a Bird swooped past pacesetter Jonesboro entering the stretch and powered clear to a six-length romp in the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
The six-year-old Birdonthewire horse boosted his 2009 earnings to $907,000 with the $300,000 winner’s share and surpassed the million-dollar plateau in career earnings.
Edmund A. Gann’s It’s a Bird won the OBS Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes in January and entered off a third-place finish in the New Orleans Handicap (G2) on March 14 at Fair Grounds for trainer Marty Wolfson.
It’s a Bird pressed pacesetter Jonesboro through swift fractions of :23.37, :46.72, and 1:10.62 through six furlongs as the 2-to-1 second wagering choice.
Honest Man, sent off as the 7-to-5 favorite, rallied into contention from three wide on the turn, but It’s a Bird was just finding his best stride under jockey Julien Leparoux. He shook free with an explosive burst of speed and completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.96 on a track rated as fast to improve to ten wins in 29 career starts and $1,172,885 in purse earnings.
Runforthedoe (Brz) closed from off the pace to edge Jonesboro by a neck for second in the closing strides. Honest Man flattened out and finished sixth in the seven-horse field.
Bred in Florida by White Cross Farm, It’s a Bird is out of the stakes-winning Hooched mare Faithful City.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
