2026.01.02 Stakes Advance – Smarty Jones Stakes

Stakes Advance – $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes
Compiled by Robert Yates

Contact: Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing

cho@oaklawn.com, 501-623-4411 ext. 4201

Friday, Jan. 2, 2026


$250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes

Arkansans Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway are on the Kentucky Derby trail again, but this time with some new faces in tow.

The Gasaways (Little Rock’s 4 G Racing) co-own Universe, a Kenny McPeek trainee who will make his 3-year-old debut in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn.

The Gasaways and McPeek also campaigned Mystik Dan, who rebounded, emphatically, from a fifth-place finish in the 2024 Smarty Jones to win Oaklawn’s $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) and the Kentucky Derby two starts later.

“We’re definitely very excited about (Universe),” Sharilyn Gasaway said. “But we also know it’s a long road, so we’re taking it one step at a time and trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves about anything.”

The Smarty Jones headlines an 11-race card that begins at noon (Central). Probable post time for the Smarty Jones, the 10th race, is 4:25 p.m. The card also features the $150,000 Renaissance Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters and the $135,000 Commodore Overnight Stakes for older sprinters.

The 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones is Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races and will offer 21 total points (10-5-3-2-1, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

The nine Smarty Jones entrants from the rail out: Universe, Joel Rosario to ride, 117 pounds, 3-1 on the morning line; Baytown Dreamer, Orlando Bocachica, 117, 30-1; Boca Beach Club, Luis Saez, 117, 4-1; Silent Tactic, Jaime Torres, 117, 12-1; Rancho Santa Fe, Florent Geroux, 119, 5-2; Oscar’s Hope, Ricardo Santana Jr., 122, 8-1; Strategic Risk, Javier Castellano, 119, 6-1; Scar Ship, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 12-1; and Sleepingonfreedom, Brian Hernandez Jr., 117, 5-1.

The Gasaways, along with Lance Gasaway, of Star City, Ark., and Hot Springs native Daniel “Banks” Hamby bred and raced Mystik Dan. Hamby’s brother, Scott, bought into the colt before his third-place finish in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn. Mystik Dan was the first horse for the partnership.

The success of Mystik Dan triggered a new partnership on what is now another promising 3-year-old.

The Gasaways own Universe with Steven “Goose” Crain, Gregg Day and McPeek’s Magdalena Racing. Crain, Brent Gasaway and Lance Gasaway – all with deep ties to southeast Arkansas – are cousins. Day is also a southeast Arkansas native.

Day resides in Little Rock, but he is originally from McGehee, roughly 25 miles south of tiny Gould, where Lance Gasaway and Crain were raised. Day and Gasaway have farming interests in southeast Arkansas. They are also longtime friends and played college football together at Arkansas-Monticello. Crain is a Hot Springs concrete construction company owner.

“Lance got me into it after I attended the Kentucky Derby,” Crain said. “We didn’t know the first horse we were going to buy was going to be Universe and he would win first out at Saratoga. So, it’s pretty cool. We’ve had fun with it. Lance told me: ‘You don’t know how lucky you are. You go to the Derby with me as a guest and the first horse you and Gregg buy, he wins at Saratoga. You’ve already run in a Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 and placed in every one of them. That stuff just doesn’t happen.’”

Tasked to unearth the new partners a horse on the heels of Mystik Dan, McPeek purchased Universe for $75,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The son of Global Campaign has already bankrolled $233,400 off a 1-2-1 record from four starts.

Universe competed against some of the country’s top 2-year-olds, finishing third in the one-mile Champagne Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Aqueduct, second in the Street Sense Stakes (G3) Oct. 26 at Churchill Downs and second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. The Street Sense and Kentucky Jockey Club were both 1 1/16 miles.

“I think he likes more distance,” Sharilyn Gasaway said. “We’ll see how he does in the Smarty Jones. I wish it was longer, but it’s not. We’re hopeful that he’ll do well. He hasn’t been at Oaklawn, so, hopefully, he likes the track.”

Universe has already collected 13 points toward Kentucky Derby starting eligibility. Another McPeek trainee, Blackout Time, has five points after finishing second behind unbeaten Ted Noffey in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Blackout Time’s co-owner? Lance Gasaway.

“I called Lance and asked if he wanted to go in on Universe,” Crain said. “He said, ‘Man, I’ve got too many right now.’ At the time, he was looking at Blackout Time. I hollered at Sharilyn to see if she wanted to partner. She was like, ‘Oh, God, yeah. We’ll jump in.’ It’s kind of funny. I told Lance that wouldn’t it be nice if Blackout Time went to the Derby and we were able to get to the Derby. We wouldn’t have any problem with seating like we did the first time.”

$150,000 Renaissance Stakes

Trainer Steve Asmussen’s first Oaklawn career stakes winner was Valid Expectations, who was owned by Texas-based Ackerley Brothers Farm (Robert and Leland Ackerley).

That was 1996.

Almost 30 years later, Asmussen and co-owner Leland Ackerley will be chasing another Oaklawn sprint stake for 3-year-olds with Obliteration, the 7-5 program favorite for Saturday’s $150,000 Renaissance.

The six-furlong Renaissance is part of an 11-race card that begins at noon CST. Probable post time for the Renaissance, the fourth race, is 1:28 p.m.

Asmussen enters 2026 with a record 123 career Oaklawn stakes victories, the first coming Feb. 10, 1996, with Valid Expectations in the $50,000 Mountain Valley at six furlongs. Valid Expectations would also become the first nationally prominent horse in Asmussen’s Hall of Fame career.

Obliteration, a son of Violence, has already made his presence felt on the national stage, winning the Sanford Stakes (G3) by 10 ½ front-running lengths July 5 at Saratoga and finishing second, beaten a length by Ewing, in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) Aug. 2 at Saratoga.

Obliteration’s final three races at 2 were on grass, including a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) Oct. 31 at Del Mar in his last start.

“He’s a very good horse,” Asmussen said. “Ran well on the turf and I think he’s better on the dirt.”

Obliteration is scheduled to break from the extreme outside, post 6, under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario. Dirty Rich, Strong Potential, Swung, How Bout That Curt and Canned Heat are also entered in the Renaissance.

Dirty Rich was a 1 ¾-length winner of the $150,000 Advent Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 12 at Oaklawn for jockey Ramon Vazquez and trainer Peter Miller. Vazquez and Miller teamed to win last season’s Advent and Renaissance with Kale’s Angel.

How Bout That Curt exits a 5 ¼-length victory in the $75,000 Northern Lights Futurity for Minnesota-breds Sept. 6 at Canterbury Park for trainer Tony Rengstorf.

Asmussen will also start Strong Potential, who was fourth in the Advent.