2025.05.08 Oaklawn Racing Updates

Racing Press Release
Compiled by Robert Yates

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Oaklawn’s decision to add eight overnight stakes races to its 2024-2025 racing schedule continues to pay dividends.

One of those races, the March 29 American Pharoah, spawned four next-out winners last week, led by Bishops Bay in the $175,000 Westchester Stakes (G3) for older horses at one mile Sunday at Aqueduct. In his previous start, Bishops Bay captured the American Pharoah – his first career stakes victory – by a neck over Bendoog. The 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah was for older horses that hadn’t won a stakes race in 2024-2025.

Bishops Bay ($5) won the Westchester by a half-length as the 3-2 favorite under Flavien Prat. The winning time over a muddy, sealed track was 1:34.19. Brad Cox trains Bishops Bay, a 5-year-old son of deceased champion Uncle Mo, for a large ownership group that includes prominent Arkansas businessman Steve Landers.

Bishops Bay made two other starts at the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting, finishing second, beaten a head by Black Powder, in a Jan. 5 allowance and winning a Jan. 25 allowance. Both races were 1 1/16 miles. Black Powder ($104.40) produced the biggest pari-mutuel upset of the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting.

Bishops Bay also ran second, beaten a head, by future Eclipse Award winner Arcangelo in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) and was second in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). Both 1 1/8-mile races were in 2023.

Bishops Bay has a 6-3-0 record from nine lifetime starts and earnings of $513,550. He was purchased for $450,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earlier Sunday at Aqueduct, favored Bendoog ($2.90) won the second race, a 1 1/8-mile allowance, by three-quarters of a length over Oaklawn-raced Film Star. Bendoog is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who co-owns the 6-year-old son of Gun Runner with prominent Arkansas businessman Frank Fletcher.

Two American Pharoah graduates also struck at Churchill Downs, with favored Liberal Arts ($5.60) winning Saturday’s one-mile $200,000 Knicks Go Overnight Stakes for older horses for Cox and Honor Marie ($13.60) capturing the $200,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon Stakes for older horses at 1 ½ miles April 30 for trainer Whit Beckman. Liberal Arts and Honor Marie finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in the American Pharoah.

Oaklawn’s overnight stakes series began Jan. 23 with the six-furlong Byerley Turk for older horses. Banishing was a 7 ½-length winner for co-owner/trainer David Jacobson. Booth finished fifth for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Banishing returned to win the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) March 29 and dead-heated for second, beaten a neck, in Saturday’s $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs. Booth is three-for-three since the Byerley Turk, winning Oaklawn’s Commodore Overnight Stakes Feb. 24, $250,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) March 15 and the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 12.

The overnight stakes races were created to boost racing cards, specifically on three of Oaklawn’s biggest business days (Arkansas Derby, Rebel and Southwest). The overnight stakes were each worth $145,000.

Counting the overnights, Oaklawn ran a single-season record 57 stakes races during the 2024-2025 meeting that ended Saturday.

Finish Lines

Oaklawn-raced Claret Beret, Jody’s Pride and My Mane Squeeze are entered in the one-mile $200,000 Ruffian Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares Saturday at Aqueduct during the Belmont at Aqueduct session. … Other Oaklawn-raced runners entered in Saturday stakes races there include Brereton’s Baytown in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles and Oaklawn-raced Surveillance and Anarchist in the $175,000 John A. Nerud Stakes (G3) for older horses at six furlongs. … Oaklawn-raced Look Forward ($17.04) won the seven-furlong $600,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) for 3-year-old fillies May 2 at Churchill Downs. … Multiple Oaklawn allowance winner Taxed surpassed $1 million in career earnings with a runner-up finish in the $1 million La Troienne Stakes (G1) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles last Friday at Churchill Downs. … Oaklawn-raced Madaket Road and Gaming finished second and third, respectively, in the $600,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) for 3-year-olds last Saturday at Churchill Downs. … Oaklawn-raced Lagynos finished second in the $350,000 Opening Verse Stakes for older horses at one mile on the turf May 1 at Churchill Downs. … Oaklawn stakes winner Happy Is a Choice finished third in the $200,000 St. Matthews Overnight Stakes for older horses at six furlongs May 1 at Churchill Downs.