2026.02.26 Oaklawn Racing Updates

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Contact: Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

Unbeaten French Friction is under consideration for three upcoming stakes races, including two with major Kentucky Oaks ramifications, her dual Hall of Fame trainer, Mark Casse, said Wednesday afternoon.

Casse said French Friction could remain around one turn in the $150,000 Purple Martin March 14 at Oaklawn or make her two-turn debut in the $1 million Fantasy (G2) March 27 at Oaklawn or the $750,000 Ashland (G1) April 3 at Keeneland.

French Friction has won her two career starts at Oaklawn, including the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year fillies Feb. 14, by a combined 11 ¾ front-running lengths.

“So far, knock on wood, we’ve always kind of thought she was a really good horse,” Casse said. “I try not to make that judgment after only two races, but so far she’s been pretty impressive.”

Casse trains French Friction for D. J. Stable of Jon and Leonard Green, who purchased the daughter of millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner City of Light for $250,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Casse said French Friction’s next start may be influenced by the $750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Honeybee is Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Oaks qualifying race.

“Could depend on what the other girls do,” Casse said.

Casse has two Honeybee entrants in Oaklawn stakes winners Counting Stars and Search Party. Counting Stars is looking to rebound from an eighth-place finish in the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 6. Search Party, in her stakes debut, won the Martha Washington by a neck. The Martha Washington was Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Oaks qualifying race.

Casse, however, said he’s “still on the fence” with Search Party because she may need more time between races, owing to her “light” frame. The Martha Washington was originally scheduled Jan. 31, but it was delayed six days following a major winter storm in late January that led to nine consecutive days of missed training (Jan. 24-Feb. 1) and three racing cancellations (Jan. 30, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1).

The Fantasy would be the target if Search Party doesn’t run in the Honeybee, Casse said.

“I’m going to watch her train the next few days,” said Casse, who conditions Search Party for her breeder, Tracy Farmer. “I would have said a week ago that we were probably on the side of not running, but she’s trained really well over the last few days, so now it’s probably 50-50. If we feel like we need to sit and wait, we’ll just wait on the Fantasy.”

The Honeybee will offer 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks. The Fantasy and Ashland are 200-point events (100-50-25-15-10). Both races are 1 1/16 miles.

The Fantasy and Honeybee will carry record purses this year after previously being worth $750,000 and $500,000, respectively.

Ewing on Hold

Next-race plans are pending for Grade 2 winner Ewing following his first career loss in the $150,000 Ozark Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters Feb. 16, dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday afternoon.

Ewing returned to Casse’s training center in Ocala, Fla., after a sluggish sixth-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the Ozark, which marked his first start since the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 2 at Saratoga. Ewing, in his only other start, broke his maiden by 12 lengths at 5 ½ furlongs July 5 at Saratoga. Ewing led at every point of call in those races, but he was never a factor in the Ozark following an awkward start.

“I think that we got a little caught up in the hype, trying to maybe get him ready for the (Kentucky) Derby and those things and I just think it was a little too much for him,” Casse said. “So, I brought him home and I’m going to let him tell me when he wants to do something instead of me telling him when I want him to do something.”

Following the Saratoga Special, Ewing was scheduled to make his two-turn debut in the Breeders’ Futurity Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland, but he was scratched because of a “minor injury,” Casse said.

A Triple Crown nominee, Ewing is from the first crop of 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go and races for D. J. Stable (Jon and Leonard Green), West Point Thoroughbreds and Kenneth Freirich.

The Ozark marked the first stakes race Casse entered this season at Oaklawn that he didn’t win. He had been 8 for 8.