2025.02.26 Oaklawn Racing Updates

Racing Press Release
Compiled by Robert Yates

QUIETSIDE – The Honeybee Stakes G3 – 38th Running – 02-23-25 – R09 – Oaklawn Park – Under Rail 01 – John Gallagher

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025

Compiled by Robert Yates

Quietside and trainer John Ortiz are back in the winner’s circle.

Following a change of riders and scenery, Quietside grabbed her elusive first career stakes victory Sunday at Oaklawn, edging Five G by a length in the $500,000 Honeybee (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

The Honeybee, a major Kentucky Oaks prep delayed one day because of winter weather, was the first victory for Quietside ($22.40) since her Aug. 4 debut at Saratoga. She finished second or third in her next four starts, all stakes races. A homebred for record-setting Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony (Shortleaf Stable), Quietside represented Ortiz’s first Oaklawn winner since Happy Is a Choice captured the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes Dec. 7.

“Win the right races and it doesn’t matter,” Ortiz joked Monday morning. “It’s been a very unlucky kind of year. I’ve got seven seconds and seven thirds this year, with three wins at the meet here. Definitely needed the confidence

booster for the whole barn’s morale.”

The Honeybee was Oaklawn’s second of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races. Quietside collected 50 points for the victory and now tops the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 68. Oaklawn’s Kentucky Oaks points series concludes with the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 29.

Two recent Honeybee winners (Shedaresthedevil in 2020 and Secret Oath in 2022) won the Kentucky Oaks. Thorpedo Anna won the Fantasy and Kentucky Oaks during her 2024 Horse of the Year campaign.

Ortiz said he’s “99 percent sure” Quietside will make her next start in the Fantasy.

Quietside was exiting a troubled second in her 3-year-old debut, Oaklawn’s $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, Jan. 25. Quietside was beaten 5 ¾ lengths by Take Charge Milady.

Ricardo Santana Jr. rode Quietside in the Martha Washington, but Ortiz changed jockeys for the Honeybee, securing a two-race commitment from runaway Fair Grounds riding leader Jose Ortiz. Additionally, Quietside and Jenkin (a Shortleaf homebred for trainer Lindsay Schultz) were sent to Fair Grounds to complete major preparations for the Honeybee. Oaklawn has lost more than two weeks of training this season to harsh winter weather. Schultz has divisions at Oaklawn and Fair Grounds.

John Ortiz said Quietside spent approximately eight days in Louisiana’s warmer climate. A consistent training schedule was highlighted by a bullet 5-furlong workout (:58.80) Feb. 16 under Jose Ortiz, who rode Quietside for the first time in the Honeybee.

“Lindsay Schultz had stalls there and she was able to take her on and help us babysit her for a couple of days while we had the cold weather,” John Ortiz said. “Thanks to Lindsay for being such a great team member. Jose got to test drive her and got to really know her before this race. I gave Jose permission to test her out, let her rip down the stretch at Fair Grounds, and see exactly what he had because I wanted him to see that she not only has a turn of foot, but incredible speed, too.”

Quietside broke from post 12 in the Honeybee, just inside Five G, who rocketed from the gate and was able to clear the field entering the backstretch. Quietside, hustled early, and quickly secured an outside stalking position. Quietside, still on the outside, moved to the lead turning for home and held a game Five G safe in the final yards. Grade 2 winner Muhimma, the 4-5 favorite, finished another 3 ½ lengths farther back in third.

“I told him (Jose Ortiz) in the paddock that she’s got speed,” Ortiz said. “I said: ‘Use it wisely. Use it went you need to.’ She looked like she had a little bobble leaving the gate, but he didn’t hesitate and take her back. He went ahead and put her up there. I think that was the decisive, winning move right there.”

Quietside completed 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.63 to earn a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 86, a career-high. After winning her career debut, Quietside finished second in the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) Aug. 31 at Saratoga, third in the $600,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland and second in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs.

“I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to be her fitness level that we were going to have to be worried about,” John Ortiz said, referring to the Honeybee. “She’d show up because she’s a good horse.”

Quietside is by the late Malibu Moon out of Benner Island, a Grade 2 winner for Shortleaf. Overall, Quietside has a 2-3-1 record from six lifetime starts and earnings of $552,200. The Honeybee marked the record-tying 39th career Oaklawn stakes victory for Anthony and his record-extending 297th overall in Hot Springs. The late John Franks, a four-time Eclipse Award winner as the country’s outstanding owner, also won 39 stakes races at Oaklawn, the last coming in 2000. Anthony’s 38th career Oaklawn stakes victory came in the $175,000 Year’s End Dec. 29 with Jenkin, who finished eighth in the Honeybee.

The Honeybee had a record purse in 2025 after a $100,000 increase in the offseason. It equaled the most lucrative career victory for John Ortiz.