HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Last Samurai has run some of the biggest races of his career at Oaklawn Park, and he turned in another outstanding performance Saturday when he ran down favorite and highweight West Will Power to capture the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap.  Last Samurai won the 1 1/16-mile race for older horses by 1 1/2 lengths over West Will Power, while it was another seven lengths back in third to Law Professor.  The win was the third career stakes victory for Last Samurai, who last meet won the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 102 and the $150,000 Poinsettia.  Since those wins, the horse’s longtime owner, Willis Horton, died. His son, Kevin Horton, has elected to keep the stable name Willis Horton Racing to honor his father, who was 82 when he died in October. Kevin Horton made a three-hour drive to be at Oaklawn on Saturday and brought his mother, Glenda Horton. “It’s big, it means a lot,” Kevin Horton said of winning such a race after losing his father. “He’s always with me. I wouldn’t go without him.” :: Bet the races on DRF Bets! Sign up with code WINNING to get a $250 Deposit Match, $10 Free Bet, and FREE DRF Formulator.  D. Wayne Lukas trains Last Samurai, who came into the Razorback off a fourth-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. Lukas said earlier this year that the Razorback was an early season goal for the Oaklawn-based Last Samurai. Last Samurai ($18.80) broke next to last Saturday and had one horse beat early as West Will Power and Law Professor raced through an opening quarter in 23.74 seconds, a half-mile in 47.22, and six furlongs in 1:11.25. Last Samurai came between horses approaching the quarter pole, was tipped out by jockey Cristian Torres at the top of the stretch, and closed resolutely to get past West Will Power nearing the wire. The winner covered the distance on a fast track in a strong 1:42.19.  “He’s a stayer,” Kevin Horton said. “He can keep grinding and grinding. He’s just a big horse and it takes him so long to get his stride going. We got a perfect ride with Cristian today. One of the things we told him, ‘Just don’t check the horse. Let him continue on, because he can just keep grinding,’ and he did exactly that. I’m so proud of the horse.”    Horton said provided Last Samurai exits the Razorback in good order, the plan would be to proceed to the Grade 3, $500,000 Essex on March 18 at Oaklawn.  Last Samurai has now won 5 of 23 starts for earnings of $1.6 million. The 5-year-old horse is a son of Malibu Moon.  West Will Power was making his first start since November, when he was second in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Downs. He was the 122-pound highweight, while Last Samurai toted 118 on Saturday.  Grade 2 winner Law Professor shipped in from New York for the Razorback, while the race also drew shippers from Southern California.  “There was good competition,” Kevin Horton said. “We stood up to ’em.”  And defended the home turf of the Razorbacks. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.