New Orleans native Randy Gervais made his first trip to Oaklawn late last month. The directions came from heaven. Gervais and mother Lori (Gervais Racing) own Gateskeeper, an Instagrand colt who was entered in the second race March 29, a $110,000 maiden special weight sprint for 3-year-olds.

Gateskeeper was named for Randy Gervais’ father (also named Randy), a former jockey who died in May 2019, roughly three months after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 61.

A month before his death, Gervais told his son that he wasn’t going to make it, but vowed that he would be waiting for him at the gates of heaven, with arms wide open.

“Like, that’s a promise,” the younger Gervais said, recalling his father’s words. “Then he told me about that little verse in the Bible, where it’s like a thousand years on earth are only like minutes in heaven because that’s how amazing heaven is. He was just like: ‘For you, it’s going to feel like a long time, you not seeing me. But for me, it’s only going to be a few minutes, so I’ll see you soon.’”

Since his father is a “gates keeper,” Gervais, 29, said he thought it would be an appropriate name for a horse he and his mother owned.

“It didn’t mean I was going to do it that year,” said Randy Gervais, who has a tattoo on his upper right arm of what he believes the gates of heaven look like. “This was five years ago. Whenever it happened, it happened. My initial thought when I bought him, I wasn’t even going to use the name. I don’t know. You wake up and have the feeling and I just used it. It was weird.”

Gateskeeper ($11.40) needed a little more than a minute to reunite father and son (in spirit) March 29, winning the six-furlong race by a half-length under Francisco Arrieta. It was the colt’s fourth lifetime start.

Gateskeeper narrowly missed winning his Dec. 21 career debut at Oaklawn. He was beaten a neck by I Got Game, who returned to win the $150,000 Ozark Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters Feb. 17 at Oaklawn. Gateskeeper returned to sprinting last month after two failed route attempts, including a 10^th-place finish in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He wants short,” Gervais said. “His pedigree screams it. Let’s do what the paper’s telling us. He came back from Tampa great. He took it like a champ. He trained great. I booked my flight after the entries came out and it said he was like 20-1 and I just laughed. I was like: ‘This horse ain’t no 20-1.’ I just had that feeling. When I flew up, I was so confident in the horse. I just know he’s a nice one-turn horse.”

Gateskeeper represented trainer Jade Cunningham’s first career victory for Gervais Racing, which purchased the colt for just $36,000 in 2024 at Fasig-Tipton’s August Digital Selected Sale. Gateskeeper collected $66,000 for the victory, pushing his career total to $94,800.

“The whole thing was super emotional,” Cunningham said. “Randy even said that. Obviously, when you’re giving honor to your dad that’s passed, that’s huge.”

Cunningham formerly worked under nationally prominent trainer Dallas Stewart (Gervais Racing’s primary conditioner and a longtime family friend) before going out on her own in the summer of 2023. Gervais Racing, solely or in partnership, has approximately 15 horses in training.

Randy Gervais owns Gervais Development, an industrial development company in New Orleans. Gervais said his father retired from riding in the early 1980s. The elder Gervais established Royal Productions, a New Orleans audio-visual company, in 1982.

Gateskeeper is entered in Friday’s ninth race at Oaklawn, a $130,000 entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

The Great Race

Four jockeys are vying for the Oaklawn riding title with nine days remaining in the meeting.

Two-time defending champion Cristian Torres has a meet-high 53 victories, followed by Francisco Arrieta (51), Rafael Bejarano (49) and Tyler Bacon (46). Arrieta was Oaklawn’s co-leading rider in 2021-2022. Bejarano and Bacon are seeking their first Oaklawn riding title.

Torres and Arrieta are both represented by agent Cody Autrey, who began booking mounts for the latter a little more than a month ago. Arrieta surged to the top of the standings after winning 26 races over 11 racing days (March 14-April 6) before Torres regained the lead with four victories last week.

In addition to Torres, Autrey also represented Harry Hernandez at Oaklawn before he moved his tack in early March to Turf Paradise. Hernandez’s departure opened the door for Autrey to add Arrieta, who had just parted with his longtime agent, Jay Fedor.

“I’ve got a job to do, right?” Autrey said. “I’ve got to present both guys in an equal fashion and that’s what I’m going to do. Obviously, I wasn’t planning on having him (Arrieta). Harry left and things turned. That’s just the way it goes in this business.”

Bacon, 17, has already wrapped up champion apprentice honors at the meeting, recording 38 victories before losing his weight allowance March 28. The 38 victories are the highest single-season total for an Oaklawn apprentice since Carlos Gonzalez won 41 races in 1987. Bacon’s mounts earned $2,619,939 in purses, a single-season Oaklawn record for an apprentice.

Bacon collected three victories Sunday, his first riding triple as a journeyman. Bacon won the fifth race aboard Greers Ferry ($10.20) for trainer Carlos Santamaria, eighth race aboard favored Raymond ($8.20) for trainer Tim Martin and the ninth race aboard favored Chez Whiz ($6) for trainer Brett Creighton.

Oaklawn’s 2024-2025 live season ends May 3.

Finish Lines

Racing resumes Friday at Oaklawn, with first post 12:20 p.m. (Central). … Oaklawn is closed for racing and training Sunday in observance of Easter. … Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen recorded two winners last Sunday, extending his career record Oaklawn total 989. Asmussen won the first race with favored Bye Bye Miles ($3.60) and the sixth race with Systemic Change ($12.20). Jockey Keith Asmussen, the trainer’s oldest son, rode both winners. Steve Asmussen tops the 2024-2025 Oaklawn trainer standings with 42 victories and is also the meet’s leading owner (12 victories). … Favored Raymond ($8.20) won last Sunday’s eighth race, a $131,000 allowance sprint, to become the meet’s second four-time winner. Tyler Bacon rode Raymond for trainer Tim Martin.