Barn Notes

When he runs, he’s good. The problem for Bishops Bay is he hasn’t run often.

“Nothing major,” trainer Brad Cox said, when asked about the horse’s physical history. “A lot of small things. No surgeries or anything along the way.”

Armed with only five lifetime starts, Bishops Bay makes his 5-year-old debut in Sunday’s fifth race at Oaklawn, a $131,000 allowance for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

Bishops Bay, despite his abbreviated resume, is the 7-5 program favorite for Cox and a large ownership group that includes prominent Arkansas automobile dealer Steve Landers.

Bishops Bay returned from a 16 ½-month layoff to win his last start, a conditioned allowance at 1 mile and 70 yards Nov. 11 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The two-length victory generated an eye-catching 93 Beyer Speed Figure. Bishops Bay owns four 90-plus Beyers, including a career-high 97 when he was beaten a head by Arcangelo in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles in May 2023 at Belmont Park.

Arcangelo returned to win the Belmont Stakes – the final leg of the Triple Crown – and the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) en route to an Eclipse Award as the country’s champion 3-year-old male. Bishops Bay was the Peter Pan favorite.

“He’s cut out to be a very good horse,” Cox said. “He’s been a very good horse in the afternoons and stuff. It’s been challenging at times to get him there.”

Bishops Bay, a son of the recently deceased champion Uncle Mo, won his first two career starts in early 2023 at the Fair Grounds. After finishing second in the Peter Pan, Bishops Bay finished second behind Two Phil’s in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds before a lengthy break. The 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby was in June 2023 at Thistledown.

“He had a good return race, good figures and looking to take another step forward on Sunday,” Cox said.

Regular rider Florent Geroux is named to ride Bishops Bay from post 5. Purchased for $450,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Bishops Bay has a 3-2-0 mark and earnings of $234,200.

Probable post time for the fifth race is 2:25 p.m. (Central).

Back to Work

Just Steel, the 2023 Arkansas Derby runner-up, moved closer to his comeback race by working five furlongs from the gate Saturday morning at Oaklawn. Just Steel was timed in 1:00.40 over a fast track.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Friday morning that he’s targeting a late January return for Just Steel, unraced since finishing fifth in last May’s Preakness. Just Steel exited the second leg of the Triple Crown with a fracture in his right front leg that required surgery and resumed training approximately 90 days ago, Lukas said.

“I want to get two, maybe three more works in him,” Lukas said. “I don’t know that I need them, though. Geeze, he’s rolling around there like King Kong.”

Just Steel returned to the work tab Dec. 21 at Oaklawn, covering 3 furlongs in :38. He worked a half-mile in :52.60 Dec. 29 at Oaklawn.

Just Steel was the only horse to go through Oaklawn’s four-race series of Kentucky Derby qualifying races at the 2023-2024 meeting, finishing second in the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, second in the $800,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), seventh in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) and second in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1).

Just Steel finished 17^th in the Kentucky Derby.  

Z 4-year-old by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Just Stell has a 2-4-1 record from 13 lifetime starts and earnings of $784,545.

Other noteworthy workers Saturday morning at Oaklawn included Speed King, who went a half-mile in :48.60 for trainer Ron Moquett, and Quietside, who covered five furlongs in 1:01.20 for trainer John Ortiz. Speed King is pointing for the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds. Quietside is headed to the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Both 1 1/16-mile races are Jan. 25 at Oaklawn.

Smarty Jones & Mockingbird Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, AR – Different tactics, same result.

Norman Stables’ Coal Battle added to his Kentucky Derby war chest with a front-running romp in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.

Ridden by Juan Vargas and trained by Lonnie Briley, Coal Battle finished four lengths ahead of Mo Quality, with 6-5 favorite Kale’s Angel another neck farther back in third.

The 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones marked the third career stakes victory for Coal Battle ($11) and second in a Kentucky Derby qualifying race. The son of Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front collected 10 points for his Smarty Jones victory. Coal Battle also earned 10 points for a half-length victory in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 13 at Remington Park.

Unlike the Springboard Mile, when Coal Battle came from off the pace to edge Speed King, he led at every point of call in the Smarty Jones. Boosted by pedestrian fractions (:24.11 for the opening quarter, :49.03 for a half-mile and 1:15.64 for 6 furlongs), Coal Battle had plenty left in the tank in the stretch after being shadowed much of the race along the inside by Kale’s Angel.

Carrying top weight of 122 pounds, Coal Battle’s winning time over a fast track was 1:46.43. Kale’s Angel finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Bon Temps, a maiden for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Hot Property and Hot Gunner finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Curvino and Optical were late scratches, reducing the starting field to six.

Coal Battle won for the fourth time in six starts to raise his career earnings to $453,875. In addition to the Smarty Jones and Springboard Mile, Coal Battle won the $100,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 8 at Delta Downs.

The Smarty Jones was Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races, a series that continues with the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 25.

MOCKINGBIRD STAKES

It was a successful dirt debut for G W’s Girl, who took advantage of a hot early pace to win Saturday’s $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes.

G W’s Girl ($12.80) finished a length ahead of 2-5 favorite Shisospicy in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.  Francisco Arrieta was aboard for trainer Greg Compton, who notched his first career Oaklawn stakes victory.

Shisospicy finished 5 ¼ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Chatter, who was followed, in order, by Flash Master, Helen’s Revenge, Piggy Tales Up, Battleshipper, Lady Crush and Clapping Trees.

Shisospicy broke on top, but longshot Lady Crush rushed up along the inside to grab the lead, tearing through an opening quarter in :21.60. Shisospicy took command turning for home and held a 3 ½-length advantage in midstretch. G W’s Girl, fourth early, began advancing toward the leaders late on the turn and rode the momentum to her second victory in three starts.

The winning time over a fast track was 1:10.44.

A daughter of Munnings, G W’s Girl races for Mag Racing Stables of Greg Massanelli & Margaret Molleston. G W’s Girl was exiting a fifth-place finish in the $250,000 Indian Summer Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs Oct. 6 at Keeneland. She now has $110,475 in career earnings.

SMARTY JONES QUOTES

Winning jockey Juan Vargas (Coal Battle): “This time, he kind of surprised me because I never expected he was going to the lead that easy. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do in the moment. Sometimes, plans change. And this time, that’s what happened. I can say this is the best race he’s run. He’s getting better and better. He surprised me the way he won. I never expected him to take the lead that easy and then my plan changed because we were trying to run like last time (Springboard Mile).”

Winning trainer Lonnie Briley (Coal Battle): “Today, he went to the front and was pricking his ears. When he stayed up there, I’m thinking: ‘I’m going to steal it, jockey.’ He ran big, big. Every time we run him, he just seems to surprise us. He’s a neat little horse. I don’t know if it’s set in yet (having a Kentucky Derby candidate). No, it’s crazy for the little guy.”

Second-place trainer Chris Davis (Mo Quality): “I still think he’s just got a little bit of learning to do. The pace wasn’t kind of what we thought it would be. He didn’t break super sharp. In fact after the race, Junior (Alvarado) just said: ‘If he jumps, we probably wire them.’ He goes: ‘He didn’t get tired, just a little green still.’ New place, but overall not a bad effort. You can’t take anything away from the winner. He won the Springboard Mile. He’s won some two-turn races already. So, (Mo Quality) going 6 1/2 (furlongs) to a mile and a sixteenth, Junior doesn’t think distance is an issue, nor do I. I think he just needs a little bit more seasoning and growing up to do and, hopefully, we still have some fun.”

MOCKINGBIRD QUOTES

Winning jockey Francisco Arrieta (G W’s Girl): “He (trainer Greg Compton) worked her on the dirt and said he liked her. I did work her on the dirt. I liked her, too. Looked like there was going to be a lot of speed, which was going to be good for me. But she jumped. She was sitting right there. Flavien Prat’s horse (Shisospicy) was running. When I took a look, he was like three (lengths) in front of me and going. When I hit her with the whip, she reached forward quickly. When I hit her left-handed, she exploded. She did a great job.”

Winning trainer Greg Compton (G W’s Girl): “She’s a classy filly. She showed it today. Surface doesn’t matter. Hopefully, she can stretch out at the mile and a sixteenth next time. Actually, what was going through my mind is a just a picture-perfect scenario. We had somebody (Lady Crush) go up and pressure the 7 (Shisospicy) and we were able to sit back and get a nice trip.”