HOT SPRINGS, AR – Majestic Oops took command on the outside turning for home enroute to a 2 ¾-length victory in the $200,000 Dig A Diamond Stakes Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.

The Dig A Diamond, a one-mile race for older fillies and mares, represented the first career Oaklawn stakes victory for Majestic Oops ($21.60), as well as her jockey, Abel Cedillo, and trainer, Dan Ward.

Hoosier Philly made a four-wide bid approaching the quarter pole, but the 3-5 favorite was no match for Majestic Oops, who zipped away from her rivals in the short stretch run (mile runs at Oaklawn begin and end at the sixteenth pole).

Hoosier Philly, a Grade 2 winner who captured the 2024 Dig A Diamond, held second, 3 ½ lengths ahead of third-place finisher In Just My Heels, who was followed, in order, by Rose Palace, Our Pretty Woman, Bru Na Boinne and Flashy Lass. Pretty Layla was scratched. Hoosier Philly ($1,012,465) surpassed $1 million in career earnings with her second-place finish.

Majestic Oops, who carried equal top weight of 124 pounds, ran the mile over a fast track in 1:37.05. She sat just off front-running Rose Palace’s :47.33 half-mile.

The Dig A Diamond was the first career stakes victory for Majestic Oops, a 5-year-old daughter of Majestic Harbor who races for Sublime Stables (Bill Dory) and Janet Kropp. Dory and Kropp, in partnership, bred Majestic Oops in California. Overall, Majestic Oops has a 6-10-3 record from 28 starts and earnings of $376,559.

Majestic Oops finished second, beaten a neck, in the $145,000 Trivista Overnight Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23 at Oaklawn.

Majestic Oops joined Ward’s barn shortly before the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting began Dec. 6. She had previously been based in Kentucky with trainer Ed Moger Jr. Ward is a former assistant under Hall of Fame trainers Bobby Frankel and Jerry Hollendorfer.

Racing continues Sunday at Oaklawn, with first post 12:30 p.m. (Central). The 10-race card is highlighted by the $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ Stakes.

DIG A DIAMOND QUOTES

WINNING JOCKEY ABEL CEDILLO (MAJESTIC OOPS): “She broke really sharp. I think that’s where I won it because I put her where I wanted to – right outside the speed. At the quarter pole, I just asked her a little bit and she took off.”

WINNING TRAINER DAN WARD (MAJESTIC OOPS): “It’s exciting. I’m really grateful to the owner, Bill Dory, and then Ed Moger (the mare’s previous trainer) recommended he give the horse to me. I’m grateful to him, too. She’s been doing great. It makes the whole meet. She just keeps getting better and better. He (Abel Cedillo) did a great job. I told him: ‘Just let her take you wherever she wants.’ He had the favorite (Hoosier Philly) boxed in, too. That was pretty nice.”