It wasn’t easy, but Oaklawn stakes winner Instant Replay is now two-for-two in 1 1/8-mile races after winning the $250,000 Super Derby for 3-year-olds Saturday at Louisiana Downs.

The 1-2 favorite under Tim Thornton, Instant Replay needed the length of the stretch to wear down stubborn front-runner Perry County on the outside and prevail by a head. Oaklawn-raced Fountain Lake finished another 1 ½ lengths farther back in third.

Last of five early, Instant Replay ($3) ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:50.78. All starters carried 124 pounds.

The Super Derby marked Instant Replay’s third victory in his last four starts. He won the $200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles April 19 at Oaklawn and the $300,000 Texas Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles May 26 at Lone Star Park. Instant Replay was making his first start since finishing a troubled fifth in the $300,000 G3-Indiana Derby July 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Brad Cox trains Instant Replay, a son of champion Maximum Security, for Wathnan Racing. Cox was Oaklawn’s co-sixth-leading trainer last season. Instant Replay, who originally raced for his breeders, Gary and Mary West, raised his career earnings to $638,678 following his fifth victory from 10 starts.

Instant Replay concluded his 2-year-old season with a fourth-place finish behind future Arkansas Derby winner Sandman in a one-mile allowance race Dec. 13 at Oaklawn.

Cox also won the 2017 Super Derby with Mr. Misunderstood, who was campaigned by Staton Flurry of Hot Springs. Flurry was Oaklawn’s leading owner in 2023-2024.

Fountain Lake is owned by Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony (Shortleaf Stable), who captured the inaugural Super Derby in 1980 with multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Temperence Hill. Temperence Hill was the country’s Champion 3-Year-Old male of 1980.

Anthony, the winningest owner in Oaklawn history, also bred Perry County.

Finish Lines

Stall applications for Oaklawn’s 2025-2026 season are due Sept. 18. The stable area opens Oct. 23 and the track opens for training Oct. 28. The 64-day meeting is scheduled to run Dec. 12 through May 2. … Favored Oaklawn-raced Generous Lover ($5.40) won the $75,000 Michael G. Mackey Memorial Angenora Stakes for Ohio-bred fillies and mares Thursday at Thistledown. … Oaklawn-raced Northern Flame and Awesome Ruta finished second and third, respectively, in the $100,000 Polynesian Stakes Sunday at Laurel. … Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle worked a half-mile in :48.40 Saturday at Ellis Park. It was the 3-year-old’s first published workout since a runner-up finish in the $300,000 G3-Indiana Derby July 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. … Oaklawn all-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen enters Tuesday with a record 10,973 career North American victories, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Asmussen has 993 career Oaklawn victories.