(Edited Oaklawn Park report)

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – William Stiritz’s homebred Racing Bran, cleverly handled by jockey Chris Emigh, led at every pole and raced off to an upset win by four-and-a-quarter lengths over the 4-5 favorite, Jer-mar Stable’s Win Willy before a crowd of 15,313, in the $100,000 Essex Handicap on Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn Park. 

Racing over a track labeled “good” the five-year-old gelded son of Awesome Again was ridden by Chris Emigh through easy fractions of :24, :49 and 1:14 1/5, while on a clear lead.  Once challenged, the Scott Becker trainee had plenty left and was never threatened for the win. 

Win Willy weaved through traffic to reach an outside position in the upper stretch, but could not cut into the winner’s margin.  He finished a neck in front of another strong finisher, Patricia Blass’s defending champion Prom Shoes, who also struggled through traffic after bobbling at the start.  Jonesboro, Ready Set, Crook’s Bodgit, Glamour Guy and Spotsgone completed the field of eight in the Saturday feature.

For Racing Bran the win was his fifth in his last six outings.  A third place finish in Hawthorne’s Bucks Boy Handicap in October is the only mar on his record since last summer.  He had taken an allowance prep for the Essex at Oaklawn on Jan. 24.  His career mark now jumps to nine wins from 22 starts, with three seconds and four thirds, for career earnings of $239,819.

His next local start will likely come in the $150,000 Razorback Handicap at the same mile-and-a-sixteenth distance on Saturday, March 6.