Oaklawn Racing Press Release

Racing Press Release
Compiled by Robert Yates —-

Monday, Feb. 24, 2025

He’s a millionaire, a graded stakes winner, unbeaten on dirt and the Kentucky Derby points leader.

Life is good these days for Coal Battle.

“Yeah, I mean, what else?” Coal Battle’s trainer, Lonnie Briley, joked Monday morning. “He’s a good little dude. Proud of himself right now.”

Coal Battle solidified his status as the top Oaklawn-based 3-year-old with a 1 ¼-length victory over Madaket Road in Sunday’s $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2), a race delayed one day because of winter weather.

The 1 1/16-mile Rebel marked the fourth consecutive victory (all two-turn stakes) for Coal Battle and pushed his record to 5 for 5 on dirt. More important, the versatile Coal Battle secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.

Coal Battle collected 50 qualifying points for his Rebel victory and has 70 overall to rank No. 1 on the official Kentucky Derby leaderboard released by Churchill Downs.

“Seems like every race, he improves,” Briley said. “I think it (Rebel) is the best race he’s run.”

Briley said Coal Battle exited the Rebel in good order and will be considered for the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 29. The Arkansas Derby is Oaklawn’s final qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby May 3 at Churchill Downs.

“It’s the plan, but it’s not etched in stone,” Briley said. “I’m going to let him tell me because if I go to the Kentucky Derby with him, I don’t want to go with a tired horse. I skipped the Southwest after the Smarty Jones and it was about seven weeks that he hadn’t run and he ran a big race. Come back in 4 ½ weeks and ask him for his life again and then in another five weeks again, that’s quite a bit.”

Coal Battle ($25.80) generated a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 91, a career high, for winning the Rebel, Oaklawn’s third of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races. Coal Battle was exiting a sparkling victory in Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby points race, the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 4. He passed the second qualifying race, the $1 million Southwest (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 25.

Coal Battle set soft fractions in the Smarty Jones and rolled home by four lengths under regular rider Juan Vargas. But Coal Battle came from well off the pace in the Rebel, running fifth, eight lengths off tearaway leader Madaket Road’s :45.72 half-mile. Vargas pushed the button on the second turn and Coal Battle accelerated past horses on the outside, finally engaging Madaket Road at the top the of the stretch.

Coal Battle, under steady left-handed urging, wore down Madaket Road on the outside in the final furlong to complete 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.01.

“I wanted him to come back to make the run because I knew the fractions would be a lot faster than the last race and it worked out good,” Briley said. “The field was spread out quite a bit. He was sitting back there and then started to make his move a little before the three-eighths pole. I said: ‘Ooh, I was thinking a little early.’ When he hit the three-eighth pole, (Vargas) let him roll. When he ran up to the lead horse, I wasn’t worried then because I knew he would fight to go to the front.”

Coal Battle eclipsed $1 million in career earnings in the Rebel, his fifth victory from seven starts overall. A son of Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front, Coal Battle has bankrolled $1,188,875.

In addition to the Rebel and Smarty Jones, Coal Battle won another Kentucky Derby qualifying race – $300,000 Remington Park Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 13 at Remington Park – and the $100,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes Nov. 8. Although the Jean Lafitte was 6 ½ furlongs, it was around two turns because Delta Downs is 6 furlongs in circumference. The Smarty Jones marked Coal Battle’s 3-year-old debut.

A $70,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale purchase, Coal Battle races for Robert Norman (Norman Stables), an Alabama grocery store executive. Briley said he’s trained approximately 10 years for Norman.

Coal Battle was bred in Kentucky by Hume Wornall and Jay Adcock.

Finish Lines

After canceling Saturday’s card because of freezing temperatures, Oaklawn re-opened for training shortly before 2 p.m. (Central) Saturday. Kentucky Derby alum and 2024 Arkansas Derby runner-up Just Steel is scheduled to make his 4-year-old debut in Sunday’s seventh race at Oaklawn, a $131,000 second-level allowance for older horses at six furlongs. A major spring target for Just Steel is the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) March 29, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. … Ingrid Mason pulled within 137-136 of Lynn Chleborad in the race for winningest female trainer in Oaklawn history with J. P. Race’s victory in the second race last Monday. J. P. Race ($7.20) represented Mason’s first local victory for Danny Caldwell, a four-time leading owner at Oaklawn.