Barn Notes 4/30/25
Compiled by Robert Yates
Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. recorded his 2,000th career North American victory Sunday at Oaklawn when he guided Lassie My Girl to a two-length victory in the $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas-bred fillies and mares.
Santana’s North American total is recognized victories in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico by Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Equibase’s jockey and trainer career milestone alerts to the media cover only victories in the United States and Canada. Santana also has five victories in Puerto Rico.
“I’m really blessed to win my 2,000th at Oaklawn,” Santana said. “That’s the track that opened the door for me.”
Santana, 32, is an eight-time Oaklawn riding champion, topping the standings in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. He is the fourth-winningest rider in Oaklawn history with 795 victories, the first coming Jan. 21, 2011. Santana has earned more purse money ($47.2 million) than any jockey in Oaklawn history. Lassie My Girl was Santana’s 62nd career Oaklawn stakes victory.
A native of Panama, Santana rode his first United States winner Sept. 21, 2009, at Delaware Park. Santana recorded his first career Grade 1 victory aboard Creator in the 2016 Arkansas Derby and was the regular rider of multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Mitole, the country’s champion male sprinter of 2019. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen trained both horses.
Asmussen, North America’s all-time winningest trainer and the leading trainer in Oaklawn history, has been one of Santana’s biggest supporters. Santana rode Asmussen’s 10,000th career North American winner, Bet He’s Ready, Feb. 20, 2023, at Oaklawn.
Friday is Santana’s final scheduled day to ride at the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting that concludes Saturday.
Santana is named on five horses Saturday at Aqueduct, including Tuscan Sky for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in the $200,000 Fort Marcy Stakes (G2), and will remain in New York as a regular. Santana’s agent is PJ Campo. Santana was represented at Oaklawn by his longtime agent, Ruben Munoz.
Lassie My Girl ($11.20) marked the first career stakes victory for trainer Melton “Pee Wee” Wilson.” Wilson trains Lassie My Girl for owner Byron Brockman of Conway, Ark.
Straight Out of Compton
Trainer Greg Compton came up empty earlier this month at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, but that wasn’t the case this season at Oaklawn. Heading into the final three days of the meeting, Compton has established single-season Oaklawn personal bests across the board.
Compton enters Thursday as Oaklawn’s fifth-leading trainer with 21 victories from 101 starts and purse earnings of $1,237,782. Compton cracked $1 million in purse earnings for the first time at an Oaklawn meet and also recorded his first career Oaklawn stakes victory with G W’s Girl.
“This is by far the best meet I’ve ever had,” Compton said. “So, we’re really excited and happy.”
Compton, before going out on his own, worked for three-time Oaklawn training champion Bobby Barnett. Compton has at least one victory at every Oaklawn meet since 2009, his first season in Hot Springs. Compton’s numbers have soared the last four seasons at Oaklawn, with his previous highs coming in 2023-2024 when he won 14 of 86 starts and amassed $907,795 in purse earnings.
“No complaints,” Compton said.
Compton trains G W’s Girl for major client Mag Racing (Gregg Massanelli and Margaret Molleston). G W’s Girl, a 3-year-old daughter of Munnings, captured the $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes Jan. 4 and the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes Feb. 24. Both six-furlong races were at Oaklawn. Compton said he’s pointing G W’s Girl to the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs May 16 at Pimlico.
Compton, as an agent for Mag Racing, purchased G W’s Girl for $130,000 at the OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. Acting again as an agent for Mag Racing, Compton purchased a Tiz the Law colt for $170,000 and a Yaupon filly for $140,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.
The Tiz the Law colt is out of millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina. The Yaupon filly is a half-sister to Carbone, who competed in two Kentucky Derby qualifying races (G3 Southwest and G2 Rebel) last season at Oaklawn for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
“The one out of Bellafina is a nice colt,” Compton said. “Big, solid, sturdy horse, deep girth, huge hip. Very strong behind. Fast horse. Hopefully, he stays fast. A lot of them work fast down there and sometimes they don’t run fast, but, hopefully, he stays that way. Really nice horse.”
Compton returned to Florida for the OBS Spring Sale, but he couldn’t land any more 2-year-old prospects.
“It was a tough freaking sale,” Compton said.
Compton said Kinzie Queen, an allowance winner Saturday at Oaklawn, will make her next start in the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles May 16 at Pimlico or the $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3) at 1 1/16 miles June 14 at Delaware Park. Both races are for 3-year-old fillies.
Kinzie Queen finished fifth in the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 29 at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Fantasy was for 3-year-old fillies. Compton co-owns Kinzie Queen with John Holleman, a Little Rock, Ark., attorney.
Finish Lines
Racing resumes Thursday at Oaklawn, with first post 12:30 p.m. (Central). … First post Friday and Saturday is noon CDT. … Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony enters the final three days of the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting with a record 299 career victories in Hot Springs. Anthony (Shortleaf Stable) has two scheduled chances to reach 300 victories this season – Fairfield Bay in Thursday’s first race and Castle Gap in Saturday’s 10th race. … Francisco Arrieta leads two-time defending champion Cristian Torres 59-56 in the chase for leading rider. Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen tops the trainer standings 44 victories and is leading owner with 14 victories. …. Asmussen enters Thursday with a record 991 career Oaklawn victories. … Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, Arrieta said he will take a break from riding after the Oaklawn meeting ends Saturday. Arrieta said he plans to resume riding regularly at Ellis Park, which opens July 3. “I will try to ride a few horses before Ellis Park to be in shape,” Arrieta said. Arrieta recorded his 300th career Oaklawn victory in last Saturday’s first race aboard favored Kinzie Queen ($5) for co-owner/trainer Greg Compton. Arrieta said his agent at Ellis Park will be Matt Muzikar, who represents the nationally prominent Tyler Gaffalione. … Jockey Walter De La Cruz enters Thursday with 196 career Oaklawn victories.
