High Oak, the three-year-old colt partly owned by radio legend Mike Francesa, placed 10th in the Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
The race is one of many leading up to the Kentucky Derby in May where horses can secure qualification if they accumulate enough points.
Francesa, a Manhasset resident, bought the colt under the name JEH Racing Stable LLC in 2020. High Oak cost $70,000 and is trained by William I. Mott, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1998.
High Oak came into the race as one of the favorites with 8-1 odds. On one of the final turns, the colt clipped heels with Galt, another horse trained by Mott. No serious injuries were reported.
The horses that placed first to fourth Saturday received 50, 20, 10 and five points toward their qualifications. Historically, horses that have earned at least 40 points tend to make the field for the Kentucky Derby, where 20 horses are featured.
“The reason the victories are so sweet is because thoroughbred racing can be a very cruel game,” Francesa tweeted Sunday. “High Oak took the worst of it in the Fountain of Youth, but very happy to report the jockeys and horses involved in the spill are fine. We continue along the road to the Derby.”
The last prep race for the Kentucky Derby is April 16 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Days before the race, Francesa spoke about his horse’s namesake and its relation to the North Shore during the 2022 Barrett Sports Media Summit in New York City.
Francesa and his former co-host on WFAN’s “Mike and the Mad Dog” show, Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, held a 30-minute conversation where Francesa shared High Oak’s connection to Manhasset.
In a video tweeted by Zach Gelb, Francesa said throughout his involvement in horse racing, he saved the name High Oak until he had a horse capable of winning the Kentucky Derby.
“I promised everybody that I would start a horse in the Kentucky Derby with a chance to win. He didn’t have to be the favorite but had a legitimate chance to win, I have that horse,” Francesa said. “When I bought my home in Manhasset, a lot of homes had old names on them and we had very big oak trees. There’s a big metal sign saying “High Oak” when you come in the driveway.”
Francesa continued, saying he always wanted to name his horse High Oak, but knew immediately this was the chance he had to win at Churchill Downs.
As for the road to the Kentucky Derby, there are five races left for Francesa to get his spot reserved in May.
