Barn Notes 2/3/25
Compiled by Robert Yates
Multiple stakes winner Coal Battle is back at Oaklawn and quickly back on the work tab after covering five furlongs in 1:02.60 over a fast track Monday morning for trainer Lonnie Briley.
Briley is pointing Coal Battle to the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 22 at Oaklawn. The Rebel will offer 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward Kentucky Derby starting eligibility.
Coal Battle returned Saturday to Oaklawn after being based at Delta Downs in southwest Louisiana for approximately three weeks after winning the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4. Coal Battle had previously been stabled at Oaklawn, but Briley opted to send the colt to Delta Downs – the trainer has strings at both tracks – to dodge severe winter weather last month in Arkansas that disrupted training.
“It was just for the freeze,” Briley said following Monday morning’s work. “I didn’t want to stop on him for two weeks.”
Coal Battle was breezing for the fourth time since winning the 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones, Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races. The first three works were at Delta Downs, where he covered a half-mile in :52.20 Jan. 15, a half-mile in :49.80 Jan. 24 and five furlongs in 1:06.80 Friday.
“The last workout, I just two-minute clipped him,” Briley said. “The track was real bad. I kind of let him work a little bit this morning.”
Oaklawn lead clocker Jim Hamilton caught Coal Battle in splits of :12.80 for his opening eighth of a mile, :25 for a quarter-mile and :37.80 for three furlongs before galloping out six furlongs in 1:17.80.
“Next week, he’ll work again,” Briley said. “Just prepping him for the race.”
The Smarty Jones marked Coal Battle’s third consecutive stakes victory – all around two turns – and fourth in four dirt starts. From the second crop of millionaire Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front, Coal Battle collected 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the victory and has 20 overall to rank No. 3 on the latest leaderboard released by Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters.
Coal Battle also received 10 points for concluding his 2-year-old campaign with a victory in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 13 at Remington Park. Springboard Mile runner-up Speed King returned to win the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) miles Jan. 25. The Southwest was Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Derby qualifying race. The Smarty Jones was Coal Battle’s fourth victory from six starts and pushed his career earnings to $453,875. Coal Front was bred in Kentucky by Hume Wornall and Jay Adcock.
A $70,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale purchase, Coal Battle races for Robert Norman (Norman Stables), an Alabama grocery store executive. Briley said he’s trained approximately 10 years for Norman, adding the owner continues to decline offers to sell the colt.
“One guy called this week wanting to buy a piece of him and other people have called wanting to buy him,” Briley said. “But Mr. Norman, he doesn’t want to sell. He’s just having fun.”