Barn Notes 2/6/25

Compiled by Robert Yates

Friday’s seventh race at Oaklawn, a $131,000 allowance sprint for Arkansas-breds, would be noteworthy because three of the nine entrants are stakes winners.

But that’s just half the story.

Remarkably, three entrants are half-brothers. Navy Seal, a 7-year-old Midshipman gelding; Lochmoor, a 6-year-old Laurie’s Rocket gelding; and Cooler King, a 5-year-old son of Uncaptured, are all out of Copperelle.

Fittingly, Navy Seal, Lochmoor and Cooler King (all bays) are scheduled to break from posts 5, 6 and 7, respectively, in the 6-furlong race.

“All three in a row and they all basically look really, really similar,” said Nancy Knott, who trains Navy Seal for Chicago-based KEM Stables. “It will be so fun to watch. I told my owners about this and one of them said: ‘That’s hysterical.’ Another one said: ‘Oh, family reunions.’ I thought that was so funny.”

While Navy Seal (23) and Lochmoor (15) have combined for 38 starts at Oaklawn, Cooler King has never raced in Hot Springs after beginning his career in Florida with trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.

After winning a maiden special weight grass sprint in April 2023 at Gulfstream Park, Cooler King finished ninth in his next start, the $75,000 Roar Stakes for 3-year-old turf sprinters in May 2023 at Gulfstream. Cooler King then tumbled down the class ladder on the Mid-Atlantic circuit. In his last start, Cooler King finished fourth in a $5,000 claiming sprint Jan. 16 at Delta Downs in Louisiana.

Knott said because KEM already owned Navy Seal, it tried to buy Cooler King following his second career start – a runner-up finish in October 2022 at Gulfstream Park – but couldn’t strike a deal.

“He ends up in the claiming ranks, going to all these tracks,” Knott said. “I have him on my virtual stable, so I was watching him. Just last month, he got to Delta and I said: ‘Oh, he’s getting closer to Arkansas.’ All of a sudden, he’s in Navy’s race.”

Cooler King is now trained by Andres Cambray, who recorded his first career victory last season at Oaklawn. Cooler King is a 30-1 outsider on the morning line.

Friday’s race is a prep for the $150,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas-bred sprinters March 2 at Oaklawn.

Lochmoor, the 9-5 program favorite, ran third in last year’s Nodouble before winning the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship Stakes for state-breds at 1 1/16 miles last May.

Midnight Taxes (2-1), 2023 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship winner Willow Creek Road (15-1) and King Peanut (15-1) are also entered. King Peanut won the $150,000 Rainbow Stakes for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred sprinters in 2023 at Oaklawn.

Navy Seal (9-2) ran fourth in the 2024 Nodouble and surpassed $400,000 in career earnings in his last start, a one-length allowance victory against state-breds Dec. 15 at Oaklawn.

“It’s really neat,” Knott said. “I’ve never seen a race with three horses out of the same mare. You see the same stud all the time.”

Copperelle is also the dam of two other Oaklawn stakes winners – Weast Hill (2015 Rainbow, 2016 Nodouble Breeders’ and 2016 Arkansas Breeders’) and Usual Suspect ($100,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders’ for female Arkansas-bred sprinters in 2019).

Perfect Dial, a 3-year-old Dialed In colt out of Copperelle, ran second in a $50,000 maiden-claiming sprint for Arkansas-breds last Saturday at Oaklawn for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Navy Seal is the only horse trained by Knott, the wife of Oaklawn starter William “Blue” Knott.

Probable post time for the seventh race is 3:26 p.m. (Central).

Finish Lines

Runaway Oaklawn leading apprentice jockey Tyler Bacon, 17, rode three winners Sunday to pull into a tie for second in the standings with 18 victories. Bacon won the fourth race aboard Adamantly ($9) for trainer Jaime Gonzalez, eighth race aboard favored Wendelssohn ($4.80) for trainer Chris Hartman and the ninth race aboard favored Gold Member ($7) for trainer Todd James Jordan. It was the third career riding triple, and second this season at Oaklawn, for Bacon. Bacon and Ramon Vazquez each have 18 victories, trailing only two-time defending Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres (30). … Stomp, a 3-year-old son of Oaklawn stakes winners Mitole and High Heels, is scheduled to make his career debut in Saturday’s eighth race at Oaklawn, a $110,000 maiden special weight sprint, for breeder/owner Anita Ebert and trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. Stomp’s half-sister, In Just My Heels, has two allowance victories this season at Oaklawn for Ebert and Moquett. The six-furlong race also drew Bon Temps, who returns to the maiden ranks after finishing ninth in the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 25 for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The 1 1/16-mile Southwest was Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Derby qualifying race. … Lukas said he’s pointing Lady Moscato to the $150,000 Carousel Stakes for older fillies and mares at six furlongs Feb. 22 at Oaklawn. Lady Moscato won the inaugural $145,000 Bugler Overnight Stakes Jan. 25 in her last start.