Minnesota bred Mr. Jagermeister faces six other 3-year-olds in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes today at Oaklawn Park. This kicks off the three-day Racing Festival of the South at the Hot Springs, Ark, racetrack.
Mr. Jagermeister arrived at Oaklawn earlier this week from his Phoenix base with trainer Valorie Lund and has settled into the shedrow of Mac Robertson. Yesterday Lund schooled the colt along with several of Robertson’s stakes runners that will compete in the Festival. Mac provided some pointers along the way about the Oaklawn facility. All went well according to Lund in both the enclosed paddock and the grassy area where stakes horses parade.
“I couldn’t ask him to be any better,” she said. “He is full of himself.”
Mr. Jagermeister galloped a mile and a half on Wednesday and was scheduled to jog this morning.
“He looks and feels marvelous,” Lund said.
Jockey Andrew Ramgeet, who has been aboard in five of six career starts, winning three of them including the Northern Lights Futurity, is due in town this morning from Phoenix.
The speedy favorite Mitole from the Steve Asmussen barn is the horse to beat. He has won two of four starts at Oaklawn and most recently romped in an allowance earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, the best of any entered.
Fans of racing in Shakopee know that Mr. Jagermeister looked Amy’s Challenge in the eye in the Shakopee Juvenile last September before grudgingly conceding. Amy’s Challenge, one of Robertson’s stakes horses who races in Friday’s $400,000 Fantasy Stakes, is one of the best fillies in the country. Lund is hoping today’s Bachelor unfolds like the Shakopee Juvenile with Mr. Jagermeister sitting off the pace early. Of course that was the plan in the San Vicente before he broke on top and dueled through grueling fractions and faded. Today could be different with the right trip. Lund is hoping Mr. Jagermeister can “sit, engage, and go on.” It all unfolds in the ninth race on the Oaklawn program slated to run at 5:10 p.m.
