Edmund Gann's Peace Rules and Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr's Saint Liam, the one-two finishers in the Feb. 29 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) at Fair Grounds, and the past two Arkansas Derby (gr. II) winners--Private Emblem (2002) and Sir Cherokee (2003)--head a list of 17 horses nominated for the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) April 3.
The 1 1/8-mile stakes kicks off the 31st edition of the Racing Festival of the South and shares the spotlight that day with the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) for fillies and mares.
Peace Rules, by
Jules, will make his first trip over the Oaklawn racing surface should he start in the race. Last year, Peace Rules, trained by Bobby Frankel, won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I) as a 3-year-old.Saint Liam, by Saint Ballado, won allowance races at Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park before his near miss in the New Orleans Handicap. He's trained by Richard Dutrow.
Here's the complete list of horses nominated for the Oaklawn Handicap: Cowboy Stuff, Crafty Shaw, Evening Attire, Freefourinternet, Missme, Newfoundland, Ole Faunty, Olmodavor, Peace Rules, Pie N Burger, Private Emblem, Saint Liam, Seattle Fitz, Sir Cherokee, Sonic West, Star Cross, and Toccet.
