Buy TicketsPeter Mattson’s homebred Doctor Oscar is making a house call at Keeneland Friday.
After feasting on Minnesota-breds this summer at Canterbury Park, the 4-year-old son of Shackleford will go postward Friday afternoon in the 171st running of the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) going 6 furlongs on the main track.
The race is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race with the winner securing a fees-paid berth in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
“We have been pointing for this race for a while,” trainer Tim Padilla said. “We wanted to take on the good ones later on after he had some easy races.”
Doctor Oscar comes into the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix off a 6-length victory as the 1-2 favorite in the Crocrock Minnesota Sprint Championship on Sept. 9. Since arriving at Keeneland, Doctor Oscar returned to the work tab with a half-mile breeze of :48 on Monday morning.
Regular rider Alonso Quinonez will be aboard Friday and exit post 9 in a field of 11. Doctor Oscar is the 7-2 second choice.
“I like the outside post,” Padilla said. “He likes to be on the lead or right up there with them. His numbers are right with the horses in there.”
A victory Friday would be the first at Keeneland for Padilla and possibly the first here by a Minnesota-bred in a stakes.
One question: Who is Doctor Oscar?
“He (Mattson) names a lot of his horses after his grandson,” Padilla said. “We’ve had Fisherman Oscar, Commissioner Oscar and before that he had Fireman Oscar.”
Fireman Oscar won the 2020 Minnesota Sprint Championship and earned more than $396,000; the other aforementioned Oscars are maidens. Commissioner Oscar worked a half-mile here this morning.