Compiled by Robert Yates

A field of eight was entered Sunday for the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4, a 1 1/16-mile event that begins Oaklawn’s “Road to the Kentucky Derby.”

The Smarty Jones will highlight a 10-race program that also features the six-furlong $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Probable post time for the Smarty Jones, the ninth race, is 3:55 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at noon.

The Smarty Jones field from the rail out: Kale’s Angel, Ramon Vazquez to ride, 119 pounds; Hot Gunner, Harry Hernandez, 117; Optical, Axel Concepcion, 117; Bon Temps, Martin Garcia, 117; Mo Quality, Junior Alvarado, 117; Hot Property, Flavien Prat, 117; Curvino, Francisco Arrieta, 117; and Coal Battle, Juan Vargas, 122.

The Smarty Jones will offer 21 total points (10-5-3-2-1, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.

Unbeaten Hot Property (1 for 1) will try to give trainer Brad Cox his fourth Smarty Jones victory in the last five years. Hot Property was a front-running 3 ¾-length winner of his Nov. 24 debut at Fair Grounds going 1 1/16-miles.

Coal Battle exits a half-length victory in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Dec. 13 at Remington Park for trainer Lonnie Briley. Kale’s Angel won the 5 ½-furlong $150,000 Advent Stakes Dec. 6 at Oaklawn for trainer Peter Miller.

Bon Temps, a two-race maiden, is a supplemental nominee for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Mystik Dan ran fifth in the 2024 Smarty Jones Stakes before winning the Kentucky Derby.

Arrieta Reaches 1,000

It was worth the wait for Oaklawn-based jockey Francisco Arrieta, who recorded his 1,000^th career North American victory in Saturday’s first race, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.

Arrieta reached the milestone aboard Eternally Grateful ($10.80), who edged Truculent by a head in the one-mile starter allowance, which was delayed 42 minutes because of rain and thunder and, ultimately, the only race run Saturday. Arrieta rode the front-running Eternally Grateful for co-owner/trainer Scott Becker.

“That was awesome,” Arrieta said Sunday morning. “I think that (delay) really helped the horse, too. He warmed up good. He’s a big horse. He was excited, jumped and kept going.”

Eternally Grateful was the 255^th career Oaklawn victory for Arrieta, 36, a native of Venezuela who began riding in the United States in 2012. Arrieta has been an Oaklawn regular since the 2021 meeting and was its co-leading rider in 2021-2022 with 62 victories.

Arrieta is represented by agent Jay Fedor, who took the jockey’s book after cold calling him shortly before the 2021 Oaklawn meeting began. Arrieta was then based at Fair Grounds.

“I started getting a lot of opportunities,” Arrieta said of hiring Fedor and relocating to Oaklawn. “I was a great opportunity that I had with Jay. I was in New Orleans and he called me and offered me a good opportunity and I took it.”

Arrieta rode his first United States winner in 2015 at the Meadowlands. In addition to Oaklawn, Arrieta has been the leading rider at Turf Paradise and Canterbury Park. He now makes Oaklawn and Kentucky his year-round circuit.

Citing weather conditions, Oaklawn canceled the remainder of Saturday’s scheduled 10-race card. Saturday’s feature, the $175,000 Tinsel Stakes, was moved to Jan 5. The 1 1/8-mile Tinsel will be redrawn Monday.