On the eve of his father’s retirement, trainer Kelly Von Hemel notched his first victory of the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting with Ain’t Life Grand in Friday’s inaugural $150,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.
Jockey Cristian Torres clinched his first Oaklawn riding title when favored Unifying won Friday’s ninth race, a $104,000 allowance sprint for 3-year-old fillies, for trainer Riley Mott.
“On the track, there are no buddies,” quipped Cristian Torres to a smiling Ricardo Santana, as the two longtime friends taunted each other during a dinner for owners, jockeys and trainers. The dinner hosted by Jane Phillips Jolly and Sadiq Mir, owners of J&S Italian Villa in Hot Springs, was an appreciation gala