Talk about skipping allowance conditions.

Dazzling debut winner Cornucopian was made the 7-5 program favorite for Saturday’s $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1), which is Oaklawn’s fourth and final Kentucky Derby qualifying race.

Entries were accepted and post positions drawn Sunday for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby and five other stakes races Saturday at Oaklawn – $750,000 Fantasy (G2) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for older horses, $250,000 Matron for older fillies and mares at sixfurlongs, $145,000 Eclipse Overnight for older horses at six furlongs and the $145,000 American Pharoah Overnight for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

The Arkansas Derby headlines a 14-race card that begins at 11:20 a.m. CDT. Gates open at 10:30 a.m., with probable post time for the Arkansas Derby, the 13^th race, 6:48 p.m.

The Arkansas Derby will award 200 total points (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) to its top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.

The nine-horse Arkansas Derby field from the rail out:

1.    Brereton’s Baytown, Marshall Mendez, 121, 30-1

2.    First Division, Brian Hernadez Jr., 121, 20-1

3.    Publisher, Flavien Prat, 121, 6-1

4.    Bestfriend Rocket, Nik Juarez, 121, 20-1

5.    Speed King, Rafael Bejarano, 124, 15-1

6.    Sandman, Jose Ortiz, 121, 3-1

7.    Monet’s Magic, Luan Machado, 121, 20-1

8.    Coal Battle, Juan Vargas, 124, 7-2

9.    Cornucopian, John Velazquez, 121, 7-5.

Cornucopian will likely need a top two finish in the Arkansas Derby to secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters. His resume? Short, but stellar.

In his only career start, Cornucopian produced the fastest six-furlong time in Oaklawn history for a 3-year-old maiden (1:09.02) in a front-running 5 ¾-length romp Feb. 23. That towering performance earned Cornucopian a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. A $1.1 million son of Into Mischief, Cornucopian is campaigned by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who is seeking a record sixth Arkansas Derby victory, and an all-star cast of owners, including SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables. Baffert won last year’s Arkansas Derby with Muth.

Coal Battle has already secured a Kentucky Derby spot, ranking fourth on the latest leaderboard with 70 points. Coal Battle is unbeaten in five career dirt starts, including the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4 and the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 23, Oaklawn’s first and third Kentucky Derby qualifying races, respectively. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.

Coal Battle completed major preparations for the Arkansas Derby with an easy three-furlong workout Sunday morning at Oaklawn under Bethany Taylor, who regularly gallops and breezes the Coal Front colt. Coal Battle was timed in :37.40 over a fast track.

“I always do that before his races,” trainer Lonnie Briley said. “It’s like he knows what’s coming up and then now he’s going to go lay down.”

Speed King was a wire-to-wire winner of Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Derby qualifying race, the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 25. Speed King looks to rebound from a 10^th-place finish in the Rebel for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs.

Sandman finished a troubled second in the Southwest and was third as the favorite in the Rebel for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. The Tapit colt will be reunited with Ortiz, the 2024-2025 Fair Grounds riding king, in the Arkansas Derby. Publisher is a six-race maiden for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, but the American Pharoah colt exits a fourth, beaten 3 ¾ lengths, in the Rebel and adds blinkers for the Arkansas Derby.

The Fantasy, Oaklawn’s third and final Kentucky Oaks qualifying race, drew 10 entrants, including unbeaten Simply Joking for trainer Whit Beckman and Quietside for trainer John Ortiz.

The Fantasy 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.

Simply Joking (2 for 2) 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 Fair Grounds. She is the 8-5 program favorite for the Fantasy.

Quietside exits a one-length victory in the $500,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23 at Oaklawn. Quietside recorded her final workout for the Fantasy over a fast track Sunday morning at Oaklawn. Quietside clocked a half-mile in :49 under Ramon Vazquez, who also worked the filly March 16. Jose Ortiz retains the mount Saturday.

“Maintenance,” John Ortiz said, describing the work. “We already know she’s fast. She looked really good. Ramon jumped off the horse and he called me right away. He says: ‘Johnny, I got a little tingle in my tummy when I went down the stretch because she really knows how to stretch out.’ Nice maintenance, felt great, galloped out nicely, he said. He said all the gears lined up.”

The Honeyebee marked the record-tying 39^th career Oaklawn stakes victory for Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony, who bred and owns Quietside. The late John Franks, a four-time Eclipse Award winner as North America’s outstanding owner, also won 39 stakes races at Oaklawn, the last coming in 2000.

Quietside ranks second on the official Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 68 points. The Kentucky Oaks is limited to 14 starters.  Runnin N Gunnin exits a 4 ¾-length victory in the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks at 1 mile Feb. 16 at Sunland Park for Asmussen.

The Oaklawn Mile drew eight entrants, including millionaire Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown for trainer Brad Cox and Oaklawn stakes winner The Wine Steward for trainer Mike Maker. Trainer David Jacobson entered two horses – Banishing and Payne, who demolished $50,000 claimers in a six-furlong race Saturday at Oaklawn. Jacobson claimed the 10-year-old gelding out of the race.

Cox will also have one of the favorites in the Matron in unbeaten Almostgone Rocket. Arkansas-bred star Haulin Ice is also entered for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., along with 2024 upset winner American Band for trainer John Haran and Oaklawn stakes winner Benedetta for Asmussen.