2025.06.05 Oaklawn Racing Update

Racing Press Release
Compiled by Robert Yates

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle is among seven horses entered in the 8 ½-furlong $400,000 G3-Matt Winn Stakes for 3-year-olds Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Probable post time for the Matt Winn, the eighth of nine races, is 3:22 p.m. CDT The card also features the seven-furlong $175,000 Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Oaklawn stakes winner Miss Martini is entered in the Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes.

Coal Battle was among the most successful horses at the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting, winning the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4 and the $1.25 million G2-Rebel Stakes Feb. 23. In his only other Oaklawn appearance, Coal Battle finished third in the $1.5 million G1-Arkansas Derby March 29.

Trained by Lonnie Briley, Coal Battle will be making his first start since finishing 11th in the Kentucky Derby. Corey Lanerie, among the winningest jockeys in Churchill Downs history, is reunited with Coal Battle, who is scheduled to break from post 6 under equal top weight of 123 pounds.

The Matt Winn also drew Grade 1 winner Gaming, who made two starts this season at Oaklawn for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Gaming finished a troubled eighth in the $1 million G3-Southwest Stakes Jan. 25 and second as the even-money favorite in the one-mile $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes March 30. Gaming exits a third-place finish in the Churchill’s $600,000 G2-Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 3.

A finalist for an Eclipse Award as Champion 2-Year-Old Male of 2024, Gaming is cross-entered in Santa Anita’s $100,000 Affirmed Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita.

Oaklawn-raced horses, including Fulsome and Cyberknife, both trained by Brad Cox, have won three of the last four runnings of the Matt Winn. Fulsome won the Oaklawn Stakes (now known as the Bathhouse Row Stakes) and Matt Winn in 2021. Cyberknife won the Arkansas Derby and Matt Winn in 2022. Disarm opened 2023 with a runner-up finish in an allowance race at Oaklawn before winning the Matt Winn later in the year for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Asmussen also trains Miss Martini, who won Oaklawn’s six-furlong $145,000 Southern Hospitality Overnight Stakes March 30. Miss Martini drew post 2 for the Leslie’s Lady Overnight, which drew a field of seven. Keith Asmussen, who rode Miss Martini to her Southern Hospitality victory, has the return call.

Finish Lines

Oaklawn-raced Look Forward and Quickick are entered in the nine-furlong G1-$500,000 Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Friday at Saratoga … Oaklawn stakes winner Justique and Oaklawn-raced Jody’s Pride are entered in the seven-furlong $300,000 G2-Bed o’ Roses Stakes for older fillies and mares Friday at Saratoga… Oaklawn-raced Tawny Port is entered in the $250,000 G2-Belmont Gold Cup Stakes, a two-mile turf marathon for older horses Friday at Saratoga. … Oaklawn maiden special weight graduate Sacred Wish is entered in the $500,000 G1-Just a Game Stakes for older fillies and mares at one-mile on the turf Friday at Saratoga. … Oaklawn-raced Patch Adams and Madaket Road are entered in the seven-furlong $500,000 G1-Woody Stephens Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saratoga’s Belmont Stakes Day undercard Saturday. … Mulllikin, who race at Oaklawn in 2023, is the 2-1 program favorite for the 6 ½-furlong $400,000 G3-True North Stakes Saturday at Saratoga. Oaklawn-raced Surveillance is also entered. … Oaklawn allowance winner Indy Bay is entered in Sunday’s $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes at Saratoga.