The $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn Park is the primary of 4 Street to the Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve races to be run on the Sizzling Springs, Ark., observe, and the 1 1/16-mile occasion will begin to inform us which gifted 3-year-olds are worthy of taking part in subsequent races. The following prep race within the collection would be the Southwest Stakes on Jan. 25, adopted by the Insurgent Stakes on Feb. 22 and eventually the Arkansas Derby on March 29.
Among the many eight horses entered on this 12 months’s Smarty Jones, two have already gained stakes races. Coal Battle gained the Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park on Dec. 13 and Kale’s Angel gained the Introduction Stakes at Oaklawn on Dec. 6. Among the many relaxation, Curvino, Sizzling Property and Optical enter the race off wins in route races (a mile or extra) and could possibly be aggressive at this stage. Mo High quality exits a profitable effort in a dash however may additionally proceed his sample of enchancment as he completed second in his debut earlier than the current victory. Bon Temps stretches out to 2 turns for the primary time however has not gained a race but and has not been aggressive in both of his two begins so far. Sizzling Gunner gained in his debut final July however has completed no higher than third in 5 races since then.
High contenders:
Kale’s Angel seems to be the horse to catch, and to beat, on this 12 months’s Smarty Jones Stakes by advantage of getting drawn the rail submit place and having proven glorious tactical pace in his most up-to-date race. After he shipped in from coach Peter Miller’s base in California to contest the Introduction Stakes 4 weeks in the past, Kale’s Angel drew the skin submit place amongst six horses operating the a lot shorter distance of 5 ½ furlongs. From that submit, jockey Ramon Vasquez, who was driving Kale’s Angel for the primary time and who rides once more on this race, took up a stalking journey in second place for the opening half-mile earlier than giving the colt his cue. Kale’s Angel responded and opened up by 2 ½ lengths with an eighth of a mile to run. He prolonged his margin with highly effective strides and handed the end line 5 ¾ lengths in entrance of the subsequent horse. As well as, the second-place finisher within the Introduction, Innovator, flattered Kale’s Angel by profitable his subsequent race. The Equibase Velocity Determine earned by Kale’s Angel was 109, extraordinarily sturdy for a 2-year-old even within the latter a part of the 12 months. That determine was additionally greater than any of the final 4 winners of the Smarty Jones. In case there are any doubts about this horse stretching out from a dash to a route and profitable back-to-back in stakes races, a Race Lens question reveals coach Miller pulled off this identical feat within the fall of 2022 with the juvenile filly And Inform Me Nolies, who gained the Del Mar Debutante adopted by the Chandelier Stakes. As such, Kale’s Angel could possibly be a standout on this discipline.
Coal Battle has gained two stakes races in a row, the latest being the Springboard Mile on Dec. 13, which was held round two turns. Previous to that he gained the Jean Laffite Stakes on the distance of 6 ½ furlongs. Nevertheless, due to the configuration of the observe at Delta Downs, the Jean Lafitte was additionally contested round two turns. He improved from an 87 determine within the Jean Lafitte to a 96 determine within the Springboard Mile, and based mostly on that, we will mission an enchancment to about 105 for this race, inside vary of the 109 determine Kale’s Angel earned within the Introduction Stakes. Coal Battle started positioned eighth of 12 runners within the Springboard Mile and rallied strongly to win underneath jockey Juan Vargas, who has been within the saddle for all three of this colt’s victories. Contemplating how effectively he has run in his final two races, Coal Battle needs to be a robust contender on this discipline, significantly if the early tempo is quicker than common.
Coach Brad Cox, who saddles Sizzling Property, has gained the Smarty Jones Stakes thrice prior to now 4 years. Final 12 months he managed Smarty Jones winner Catching Freedom, who had completed fourth in his earlier begin. In 2021 Cox saddled Caddo River to victory off a robust win at a mile, and that sample is just like Sizzling Property’s, who gained his solely begin on Nov. 24 at this mile and one-sixteenth distance. Sizzling Property’s Equibase Velocity Determine was 85, so the colt would want to enhance fairly a bit to get to the 100+ stage that’s often required to win the Smarty Jones. Nevertheless, it’s doubtless Sizzling Property is way more mature than he was in November. Moreover, his half-sister is Actress, who earned practically $600,000 together with wins within the 2017 Comely Stakes and Black Eyed Susan Stakes, so we can not rule out the opportunity of Sizzling Property making the mandatory enchancment essential to win this 12 months’s Smarty Jones Stakes.
The remainder of the sector, with their finest Equibase Velocity Figures, is Bon Temps (75), Curvino (85), Sizzling Gunner (73), Optical (92) and Mo High quality (89).
Win contenders, in desire/likelihood order:
Kale’s Angel
Coal Battle
Sizzling Property
