3/21/26 Barn Notes
Renegade was installed the 3-2 program favorite for the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 28 at Oaklawn.
Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile race were drawn early Saturday afternoon, with Renegade among nine horses entered in Oaklawn’s fourth and final Kentucky Derby qualifying race.
Renegade is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and co-owned by Robert and Lawana Low, who teamed to win the 2018 Arkansas Derby with Magnum Moon. The Lows also bred Renegade.
The Arkansas Derby will award 200 total points to its top five finishers (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.
Renegade, a son of super sire Into Mischief, hasn’t started since winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 7 at Tampa Bay Downs. Renegade closed his 2-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish in the Remsen Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 6 at Aqueduct.
The Arkansas Derby field from the rail out: Redland Rebels, Keith Asmussen to ride, 15-1 on the morning line; Silent Tactic, Cristian Torres, 5-2; Blackout Time, Brian Hernandez Jr., 6-1; Bricklin, Jaime Torres, 20-1; Taptastic, Erik Asmussen, 20-1; Renegade, Irad Ortiz Jr., 3-2; Napoleon Solo, Kendrick Carmouche, 6-1; Exosome, Adam Beschizza, 20-1; and Litmus Test, Francisco Arrieta, 5-1. Napoleon Solo, a Grade 1 winner at 2, was a supplemental nominee.
Silent Tactic, who is trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, will be the only horse to compete in all four of Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby qualifying races after finishing second behind stablemate Strategic Risk in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3, winning the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 and finishing second in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 1. All three races were 1 1/16 miles.
Grade 2 winner Litmus Test for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and Blackout Time for Kenny McPeek finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Rebel.
Litmus Test and Blackout Time completed major preparations for the Arkansas Derby with half-mile workouts over a fast track Saturday morning at Oaklawn. Both went in :48.40.
Blackout Time, under retired two-time Oaklawn riding champion Robby Albarado, breezed with older stablemate Render Judgment.
“Just maintenance,” Albarado said. “It was the last work before he runs. We wanted to go an easy half-mile with him. He was heads-up with Render Judgment. He’s a good horse, also. Just maintain fitness with him (Blackout Time). Keep our fingers crossed for another week.”
Taptastic, a March 8 career debut winner at one mile for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, also worked Saturday morning. Taptastic covered five furlongs in 1:02.
Baffert and Pletcher have each won the Arkansas Derby a record five times. Asmussen is a four-time Arkansas Derby winner. Casse has won the Arkansas Derby twice, including last year with Sandman.
Bricklin is cross-entered in Thursday’s $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 mile for trainer Rodolphe Brisset.
Oaklawn Mile
Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Sunday for the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for older horses March 28.
Expected entrants, according to the Oaklawn racing department Saturday morning: Classic Car Wash for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, East Avenue (Brendan Walsh), Extensive (Michael McCarthy), Full Serrano (John Sadler), Neoequos (Saffie Joseph Jr.), Nu What’s New (Jimmy DiVito), Prince of Power (Jesus Esquivel), Publisher (Steve Asmussen) and Will Take It (Dallas Stewart).
Full Serrano won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in 2024 at Del Mar. East Avenue is also a Grade 1 winner, taking the Breeders’ Futurity in 2024 at Keeneland.
Millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle remains under consideration for the Oaklawn Mile, trainer Lonnie Briley said Saturday morning.
Coal Battle, unraced since finishing second in the Indiana Derby (G3) July 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis, worked a half-mile in :49 over a fast track Saturday morning. Coal Battle was reunited with exercise rider Bethany Taylor, who regularly galloped and breezed the colt last season at Oaklawn. Taylor has been working this season at Oaklawn for trainer H. Ray Ashford Jr.
“He went pretty good,” Briley said of Coal Battle. “I couldn’t time him because of all the (infield) tents. But he went good, came back good. I’m thinking about it (Oaklawn Mile). I’ve got to make a decision. It’s going to be tough. He hasn’t run in nine months.”
Briley said he could target an allowance race if Coal Battle doesn’t run in the Oaklawn Mile. Coal Battle has seven published workouts at Oaklawn since Feb. 4.
“That freeze messed me up, you know?” Briley said. “I lost two works. He’s ready to run right now. I wish I could run him in an allowance race and then run him in a good race. What are you going to do? Do you run against those bears?”
Oaklawn lost nine consecutive days of training (Jan. 24 - Feb.1) following a winter storm in late January.
Coal Battle won the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) last year at Oaklawn
