3/27/26 Barn Notes
By Robert Yates
Only one horse is scheduled to compete this year in all four legs of Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby prep series and that’s John Oxley’s consistent Silent Tactic, the 5-2 second choice in the program for Saturday’s $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles.
Silent Tactic finished second behind stablemate Strategic Risk in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3, won the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 and finished second, beaten a nose, in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 1. All three races were 1 1/16 miles.
Mark Casse, Silent Tactic’s dual Hall of Fame trainer, said that wasn’t the racing schedule he envisioned for the son of Tacitus when he arrived at Oaklawn in early December after previously being based at Woodbine in Canada.
“When I ran him in the Smarty Jones, I didn’t realize how good he is,” Casse said. “Of course, it was his first dirt race. So, it was more of an experiment than anything. After the Smarty Jones, I talked a lot about Strategic Risk, but I was also very impressed with Silent Tactic because there was no way that he was at his best. He rallied on a track that was very speed favoring and he was one of the few closers. Now, the next race, I’m expecting him to run big and he did.”
Silent Tactic was beaten 4 ½ lengths in the Smarty Jones. He passed nine horses in the final three-sixteenths of a mile to win the Southwest by 3 ¼ widening lengths under Cristian Torres, who has the return call Saturday.
Silent Tactic made his first two starts over a synthetic surface last year at Woodbine, where he won his Oct. 10 debut at 1 1/16 miles and finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the Grey Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 2.
Owing to his heavy two-turn race schedule, Silent Tactic has only three published workouts at Oaklawn since the Smarty Jones, the last a five-furlong move March 19.
“The thing that’s funny about him is he has thrived through it,” Casse said. “He’s gotten bigger and stronger. When I was back there for the last race (Rebel), I couldn’t believe how much he had a changed from his previous race. I’ve been fortunate to train some good horses over the years and most of them, actually, thrive with racing and I think he is. I think that, ultimately, it’s a bonus. He’s a well-tested horse.”
Casse employed a similar strategy last year with Sandman, who ran in Oaklawn’s final three Kentucky Derby preps, winning the Arkansas Derby. Sandman had only three published workouts in advance of the Arkansas Derby after finishing a troubled second in the Southwest.
Silent Tactic’s Beyer Speed Figures have risen in his last four starts – 71 for the Grey, 81 for the Smarty Jones, 88 for the Southwest and a career-high 91 for the Rebel.
“I’ve always said when getting the Derby horses ready, I don’t like playing catch-up,” Casse said. “I like being more in front and that’s what he has done. So, we don’t have to train on him as hard. We don’t have to do those things because he’s already at the top of the hill. He’s at his top fitness. We’re not trying to get there. When that’s the case, you don’t have to train them as hard. We’re happy. We’re very happy where we’re at.”
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, which is limited to 20 starters.
Silent Tactic has already collected 50 points to rank eighth on the latest official Kentucky Derby leaderboard released by Churchill Downs.
Casse is seeking his third Arkansas Derby victory after winning the race in 2017 with champion Classic Empire.
Other horses to contest all four of Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby prep races include Long Range Toddy in 2019 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and Just Steel in 2024 for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Long Range Toddy ran second in the Smarty Jones, third in the Southwest, won the first division of the Rebel and was sixth in the Arkansas Derby. Just Steel ran second in the Smarty Jones, second in the Southwest, seventh in the Rebel and second in the Arkansas Derby.
