Barn Notes 3/22/25
Compiled by Robert Yates
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Roughly a dozen horses were under consideration Saturday morning for the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 29, according to the Oaklawn racing department.
Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Sunday for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby and five other Oaklawn stakes races March 29. The Arkansas Derby is Oaklawn’s fourth and final Kentucky Derby qualifying race and will offer 200 total points (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the first leg of the Triple Crown.
Horses under consideration for the Arkansas Derby include Admiral Dennis for trainer Brad Cox, Bestfriend Rocket (D. Wayne Lukas), Coal Battle (Lonnie Briley), First Division (Kenny McPeek), Passion Rules (Cox), Publisher (Steve Asmussen), Sandman (Mark Casse), Speed King (Ron Moquett) and What Me Worry (McPeek).
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is scheduled to have at least one entrant, according to the Oaklawn racing department. Among Baffert’s nominees are Grade 2 winner Barnes and Cornucopian, who, in his only career start, produced the fastest six-furlong time in Oaklawn history for a 3-year-old maiden allowance race (1:09.02) in a front-running 5 ¾-length romp Feb. 23. Cornucopian worked five furlongs in 1:00 over a fast track Saturday morning at Santa Anita.
Baffert has won the Arkansas Derby a record-tying five times, including last year with Muth. Mystik Dan, the third-place finisher, returned to win the Kentucky Derby.
Coal Battle already has two victories in Kentucky Derby qualifying races at Oaklawn, taking the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4 and the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 23 in his last start. Both races were 1 1/16 miles. Coal Battle tops the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 70 points.
Speed King was a wire-to-wire winner of Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Derby qualifying race, the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) at 8 ½-furlongs Jan. 25. Speed King looks to rebound from a 10th-place finish in the Rebel.
Sandman finished a troubled second in the Southwest and ran third as the favorite in the Rebel. The Tapit colt will be reunited with runaway Fair Grounds riding leader Jose Ortiz in the Arkansas Derby, Casse said.
The March 29 card will also feature the 8 ½-furlong $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for older horses, $250,000 Matron Stakes for older fillies and mares at sixc furlongs, $145,000 Eclipse Overnight Stakes for older horses at six furlongs and the $145,000 American Pharoah Overnight Stakes for older horses at 8 ½-furlongs.
The Fantasy is Oaklawn’s third and final Kentucky Oaks qualifying race. It will award 200 total points (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) to the top five finishers toward Kentucky Oaks starting eligibility. Thorpedo Anna swept both races last year en route to Horse of the Year honors.
Fantasy probables, according to the Oaklawn racing department, include Baytown Butterfly for trainer Paul McEntee, Maysam (Baffert), Necessity (Norm Casse), Princess Aliyah (Lukas), Quietside (John Ortiz), Runnin N Gunnin (Asmussen), Simply Joking (Whit Beckman) and Take Charge Milady (McPeek).
Quietside exits a one-length victory in the 1 1/16-miles $500,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 23 at Oaklawn. She tops the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 68 points.
Unbeaten Simply Joking (two-for-two) hasn’t started since a front-running 2 ½-length victory in the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes at 1 mile and 70 yards Jan. 18 at the Fair Grounds. Runnin N Gunnin exits a 4 ¾-length victory in the one-mile $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks Feb. 16.
Maysam, sixth in the Sunland Park Oaks as the heavy favorite, won the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles March 2 at Santa Anita in her last start.
Mystik Dan Returning to Oaklawn
Mystik Dan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby winner, is scheduled to arrive early next week at Oaklawn to continue preparations for his comeback start, co-owner Lance Gasaway said Saturday morning.
Mystik Dan hasn’t started since finishing ninth in the nine-furlong $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. Gasaway said Mystik Dan received a 30-day break following the Pegasus and is scheduled to return to the work tab March 29 at Oaklawn.
Mystik Dan, who ran three times last season at Oaklawn, is now with trainer Kenny McPeek’s Fair Grounds division and galloping daily.
“I just don’t know if he’ll be ready,” Gasaway said, when asked if Mystik Dan could resurface before Oaklawn’s meeting ends May 3. “I would love to run him here. This is going to be his first breeze back, so that’s why it’s going to be pushing to make the end of the meet.”
Mystik Dan was a runaway winner of the $800,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) last season at Oaklawn for his Arkansas owners. The Goldencents colt also finished fifth in Oaklawn’s $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and third in its $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1).
In addition to Gasaway, Mystik Dan races for Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway (4 G Racing), Daniel “Banks” Hamby and Scott Hamby (Valley View Farm).
