For Immediate Release

HOT SPRINGS, AR – Heavily favored Kale’s Angel survived a stretch duel and stewards’ inquiry for a hard-fought victory in the $150,000 Renaissance Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn.

In a blanket finish, Kale’s Angel ($2.60) edged Perfect Magic by a neck, with Piquant another neck farther back in third. It was another nose to Wildncrazynight, the unlucky fourth-place finisher who lost momentum when lacking room approaching the one-sixteenth pole.

The drifting incident involving the eventual 1-2 finishers prompted a stewards’ inquiry, but no action was taken.

Ramon Vazquez rode Kale’s Angel for Southern California-based trainer Peter Miller and co-owners Tom Kagele and Ernest Marchosky. Kale’s Angel was saddled by Tyrone Shaw, who oversees Miller’s 20-horse Oaklawn division.  

Kale’s Angel (1-5) was exiting a third-place finish as the favorite in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 4. The Smarty Jones was Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races.

Kale’s Angel, in his dirt debut, was a sparkling 5 ¾-length winner of the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 6 at Oaklawn. The six-furlong Renaissance was much tougher.

Fourth early, Kale’s Angel trailed front-running Perfect Magic by 2 ½ lengths turning for home. Kale’s Angel, on the outside, poked a head in front in midstretch and held off a stubborn Perfect Magic in the final 100 yards.

Carrying top weight of 124 pounds, Kale’s Angel ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:12.75. Perfect Magic took the seven-horse field through splits of :21.98 and :46.24. Wisconsin Gal, El Dandi and Three Echoes completed the order of finish.

Kale’s Angel, a Kentucky-bred son of Complexity, became the first two-time stakes winner of the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting. The Renaissance was his third victory in seven starts overall, increasing his earnings to $249,625.

Racing is scheduled to continue Sunday at Oaklawn. First post is 12:30 p.m. (Central).

RENAISSANCE QUOTES

Winning jockey Ramon Vazquez (Kale’s Angel): “I think the last race made him a little tired and we lost a lot of training the last couple of weeks (because of severe winter weather). He’s a good horse and tries hard. It’s hard to go from a mile and a sixteenth to a short distance again. He tried.”

Winning trainer Peter Miller via phone (Kale’s Angel): “It was a lot tougher than we thought it would be. Even though he won easy (Advent Stakes) the first time, he’s run three times now at the meet. It was asking an awful lot. He wasn’t at his best today, but he gutted it out on heart and class, I think. (Regarding the stewards’ inquiry): I didn’t think he did anything. It looked the inside horse (Perfect Magic), maybe, came out a little bit. Maybe we both edged a little bit. But I didn’t see much and I’m glad the stewards didn’t, either.”