John Ortiz has successfully trained the inaugural victor at Oaklawn, fathered by the esteemed champion Runhappy.
On Saturday, Ortiz will have the opportunity to guide Happy Is a Choice, a long shot, in the $500,000 G3-Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. This race could mark Runhappy's first Oaklawn graded stakes victory.
Delighting in the power of choice, the talented Happy continues to shine with back-to-back victories this season. This remarkable horse is one of the contenders in the Count Fleet, a thrilling six-furlong race featuring seasoned equine competitors. The expected race time for Count Fleet, the eighth out of 12 races, is 3:56 p.m. CDT. The initial post was made at 12:10 p.m.
Happy Is a Choice will be making its second career stakes appearance with the Count Fleet. In December 2022 at Oaklawn, he secured a respectable sixth place in the $150,000 Advent, a thrilling race for 2-year-old sprinters.
Happy Is a Choice successfully achieved his first allowance condition on January 26th and his second on March 3rd. The gelding has raced three times this year, all at a distance of six furlongs. His Beyer Speed Figures have increased from 82 to 89 to a career-high 92 in his most recent start, where he completed the distance in an impressive 1:09.68.
Acquired for a hefty $160,000 when just two years old, Happy Is a Choice boasts an impressive record of 3 wins, 0 losses, and one tie from seven races, accumulating a substantial $238,800 in earnings.