$1,250,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2), $200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes, and $200,000 Valley of the Vapors Stakes Recap

Compiled by Robert Yates |
Photo Credit: Coady Media —-

First Mission
HOT SPRINGS, AR – First Mission’s latest audition for a first Grade 1 victory was a smashing success.

A homebred for famed Godolphin, First Mission took command in the final furlong to post a two-length victory over Banishing in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses Saturday evening at Oaklawn.

First Mission, the 7-5 favorite under Flavien Prat, covered 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in a meet-best 1:49.09. The Oaklawn Handicap was the fourth career graded stakes victory for First Mission, a 5-year-old son of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.

The major 2025 objective for First Mission, according to trainer Brad Cox and Michael Banahan, bloodstock director for Godolphin, USA, is a Grade 1 victory. First Mission is 0 for 3 in Grade 1 events.

Banishing finished 5 ¾ lengths ahead of Skippylongstocking, who was bidding to become the first horse since Gay Revoke (1964 and 1965) to win consecutive runnings of the Oaklawn Handicap. Fourth-place finisher Disarm was followed, in order, by Alexander Helios, Red Route One, Tarantino and Go West Go.

First Mission ($4.80) turned the tables on Alexander Helios and Banishing after finishing behind those two rivals in his last start and season debut, the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23 at Oaklawn.

First Mission tracked a solid pace in the Oaklawn Handicap, racing fourth along the inside much of the way. Skippylongstocking held a narrow lead through 6 furlongs in 1:10.88 before being headed by Banishing on the outside turning for home.

Approaching the eighth pole, Prat found room between Banishing (outside) and a tiring Skippylongstocking (inside) and First Mission surged to the lead.

First Mission ($2,060,170) eclipsed $2 million in career earnings with his sixth victory from 12 starts.

OAKLAWN HANDICAP QUOTES

WINNING JOCKEY FLAVIEN PRAT (FIRST MISSION): “The setup was perfect. He jumped well. I got myself into a good spot. Pace was honest and he was traveling well all the way around. Brad (Cox) told me that he was doing outstanding going into the race and I think he was right.”

WINNING TRAINER BRAD COX-VIA PHONE (FIRST MISSION): “Look, I thought he beat a quality group of horses today. He did it the right way. He beat some really good horses by a few lengths. I thought it was a big-time performance at a mile and an eighth. I think it sets him up well for the rest of the year and can give us some confidence, take some swings in some Grade 1s again. Maybe he’s hitting his best stride at the age of 5. He’s certainly has trained the part. We had a lot of confidence that he would run a big race today.”

Instant Replay

$200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes

Instant Replay used a late surge on the outside to edge Caldera by three-quarters of a length to win the $200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles Saturday at Oaklawn.

Instant Replay, the 3-5 favorite, represented the record-tying third Bathhouse Row victory for trainer Brad Cox, who also won the race in 2021 with Fulsome and again in 2022 with Home Brew. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen also has three victories in the Bathhouse Row, which debuted in 2019.

Instant Replay, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, overcame pedestrian fractions and a wide trip to notch his first career stakes victory. In a blanket finish, Caldera edged First Division by a length, with Hymn, the early leader, another neck farther back in fourth. Pretty Capable and Hot Gunner completed the order of finish. Tiz Secure was scratched.

Hymn, shadowed on the outside by First Division, took the six-horse field through a :23.54 opening quarter, :49.42 half-mile and 6 furlongs in 1:14.70. First Division grabbed a narrow lead turning for home and was still in front inside the sixteenth pole, but he couldn’t hold off Instant Replay and Caldera on the outside in the final yards. Instant Replay, five-wide on the first turn and four-wide on the second turn, launched his rally approaching the three-eighths pole. He was fifth after a half-mile, trailing Hymn by 3 ½ lengths.

Instant Replay ($3.40) ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:52.06. Cox trains Instant Replay for nationally prominent owners Gary and Mary West, who also bred the son of champion Maximum Security and gave the sire his first stakes winner in two crops.

Instant Replay was coming off a third-place finish in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at 1 3/16 miles March 22 at the Fair Grounds. In his final start as a 2-year-old, Instant Replay ran fourth behind future Arkansas Derby winner Sandman in a one-mile allowance race Dec. 13 at Oaklawn.

The Bathhouse Row was Instant Replay’s third victory from seven lifetime starts and raised his earnings to $313,358.

The Bathhouse Row winner, if Triple Crown nominated, received automatic entry into the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, May 17 at Pimlico. Instant Replay is not a Triple Crown nominee.

BATHHOUSE ROW QUOTES

WINNING JOCKEY FLAVIEN PRAT (INSTANT REPLAY): “He jumped well and I felt there could be a little bit of pace. They got a long pretty well on the front end, so they slowed down quite a bit. So, (I) very wasn’t pleased going down the backside. But I moved early; I got him going. Turning for home, honestly, I thought I was going to just get a piece and he (found) another gear.”

WINNING TRAINER BRAD COX-VIA PHONE (INSTANT REPLAY): “I thought, overall, it was a really big effort. Not a lot of pace on, wide trip. That’s going to happen when you draw outside and he needed, obviously, the whole mile and an eighth to get there. So, that gives us a lot of confidence moving forward in some of these other races that are a mile and an eighth and beyond. (Asked about the Preakness; Instant Replay is not a Triple Crown nominee). “I’m not going to say no. But I would say: ‘Yet to be determined.’ Let’s see how he cools out. Let’s see how he cools out. Probably ship him back to Churchill in the next couple of days.”

$200,000 Valley of the Vapors

Blue-blood Princess Aliyah recorded her first career stakes victory in the one-mile $200,000 Valley of the Vapors for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Oaklawn.

Ridden by Luis Saez, Princess Aliyah used a late burst to finish 1 ¼ lengths ahead of favored Dare to Fly, with the Quantum Brust another three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

Anonomia, who finished fourth, was followed, in order, by Miss Martini, Jenkin and Legal Empress. Spankerboom was scratched.

Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas trains Princess Aliyah, a gray daughter of super sire Into Mischief, for BC Stables (Brian Coelho and John Bellinger), Morplay Racing (Joshua Mendez) and Joey Platts. Princess Aliyah was purchased for $1.2 million at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Princess Aliyah is out of Silver Colors, whose dam, Winning Colors, captured the 1988 Kentucky Derby for Lukas.

Princess Aliyah broke her maiden at one mile March 9 at Oaklawn. She was exiting a sixth-place finish in her stakes debut, the $750,000 Fantasy (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 29 at Oaklawn.

Princess Aliyah has a 2-0-2 record from seven lifetime starts and earnings of $223,350.

VALLEY OF THE VAPORS QUOTES

WINNING JOCKEY LUIS SAEZ (PRINCESS ALIYAH): “Pretty good trip. I had a lot of speed, but I decided to take a hold, tuck in behind and make one move with her. She responded pretty well. She has a lot of speed, but she was a little rank going into the first turn. I tried to cover her up and everything came out right.”

WINNING TRAINER D. WAYNE LUKAS (PRINCESS ALIYAH): “(Princess Aliyah being the granddaughter of the trainer’s 1988 Kentucky Derby winner, Winning Colors): “That came to mind. When she was at the three-eighths pole, I even said to my wife Laura, I said: ‘I hope that she remembers her grandmother right now because I knew we had to make a run at them like that.’ But it was really pretty when she got into the clear. I would probably like to go for the Eight Belles (May 2 at Churchill Downs), although there’s a couple of other options. We’ll see how it all shakes out and everything, but this was a step in the right direction. I feel real good about her.”