Lawyer Ron Would Appear to Have Strong Case

In the last two years, 3-year-olds who wintered in Arkansas have fared very well in the Triple Crown.

In 2004, Smarty Jones won three stakes at Oaklawn Park before winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Last year, Afleet Alex preceded his runaway victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes with victories in the Mountain Valley and Arkansas Derby.

The track in Hot Springs might have another star in the making in Lawyer Ron, a son of Langfuhr who will try for his fourth consecutive victory in the $250,000 Southwest Stakes today.

An ungraded race at one mile, the Southwest will be the first start at Oaklawn for Lawyer Ron. His last three victories -- by a combined 27 1/2 lengths -- have come in Louisiana.

In his graded stakes debut in the Risen Star on Jan. 14 at Louisiana Downs, Lawyer Ron won by 8 1/4 lengths under regular rider John McKee. The jockey won the Southwest a year ago with Greater Good, giving trainer Bob Holthus, who also conditions Lawyer Ron, his fourth victory in the event.

Should Lawyer Ron win this afternoon, it is certain any celebration will be muted. James Hines, Jr, who owned and bred the colt, died on Tuesday. Hines, 69, drowned accidentally in his indoor swimming pool at his Owensboro, Ky., home.

The chestnut colt, who was named after Hines’ attorney and friend Ron Bamberger, will race for Hines’ estate as he seeks his fifth victory in his 12th lifetime start. Bamberger is executor of the estate.

“Mr. Hines was a good man and a good owner,” said Holthus, a trainer for more than 45 years who started working for Hines in 1995. “He will be missed. He enjoyed this horse.”

The Southwest was originally scheduled for Feb. 20, but ice and snow forced the track to close.

This weather delay caused trainer Neil Howard to reconsider his plan to skip the race with Music School. A son of A.P. Indy out of the mare Delta Music, who is a half-sister to 2003 horse of the year Mineshaft, will participate in the first major prep for the Arkansas Derby, which will be run April 15.

Music School, who worked half a mile in 49 3/5 on Thursday morning, will be making only his third career start. He is two for two, including a victory at one mile in his 2006 debut on Feb. 5. Robby Albarado will be aboard.

“We know we’re still playing catch-up with him,” said Howard. “If he finishes strong and gallops out well, it will be a forward move for us.”

Besides Lawyer Ron and Music School, eight others are scheduled to run in the Southwest. The other significant prep for the Arkansas Derby is the $300,000 Rebel Stakes on March 18.

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Any of the horses that trainer Paul Aguirre enters during a 30-day period that began last Sunday will have to run from the detention barn at Santa Anita.

This decision by the California Horse Racing Board was mandated after Jasjonjake, a horse Aguirre trains, tested over the permissible limit for total carbon dioxide after finishing seventh in the second race on Feb. 5. CHRB representatives told Aguirre of the test results last weekend, but the information wasn’t made public until Thursday.

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The Tin Man, who won the 2003 San Luis Obispo Handicap, will not try for another victory in the Grade II on Sunday.

The 8-year-old Affirmed gelding, who is owned by breeders Ralph and Aury Todd, will skip the San Luis Obispo in favor of the $5-million Dubai Duty Free on March 25 in the United Arab Emirates.

In his absence, the 122-pound highweight in the San Luis Obispo is King’s Drama, who will race coupled with Aubonne and Atlando since all are owned by Gary Tanaka.

A 6-year-old King’s Theatre gelding, King’s Drama won three of six in 2005, including the Sword Dancer -- a Grade I -- last Aug. 13 at Saratoga. Patrick Valenzuela, who won the race a year ago for Frankel with License To Run, will be aboard King’s Drama.

From the inside out, the field also includes Bullistic, Fantastic Spain, Balustrade, Bouthan, T.H. Approval, Modern Era and Clipperdown.