2026.07.21 Oaklawn Racing Update

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Contact: Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing

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

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Baby Vino needed five starts – all at the 2025-2026 Oaklawn meeting – to break his maiden. Less than three months later, he’s a Grade 1 winner.

Battling Preakness winner Napoleon Solo through the stretch, Baby Vino, at odds of 28-1, prevailed by a half-length in the $1 million G1-Haskell Stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday at Monmouth Park.

The 1 1/8-mile Haskell marked the third consecutive victory for the rapidly improving Baby Vino, who is trained by Oaklawn regular Lindsay Schultz and co-owned by El Dorado, Ark.-based Cosmo Stables (Marcus Osborn).

Schultz became the first female trainer to win the Haskell, which was a “Win and You’re In” for the $7 million G1-Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Baby Vino, in his first start outside Oaklawn, was a 10 ¾-length winner of the Pegasus Stakes June 13, Monmouth’s major prep for the Haskell. Baby Vino was exiting a sharp 2 ¾-length maiden special victory May 1 at Oaklawn. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.

Baby Vino was ridden for the first time Saturday by Jorge Vargas Jr. Baby Vino, on the inside, engaged front-running Napoleon Solo on the second turn, grabbed a head lead in midstretch and was inching away at the finish to complete 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy, sealed surface in 1:50.18.

Baby Vino ($58) received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 100, a career high. A son of champion and 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso, Baby Vino has a 3-2-1 record from seven lifetime starts and earnings of $794,916.

The Haskell was the first career Grade 1 victory for Schultz, a former assistant under Hall of Famer trainer Shug McGaughey who went out on her own in 2021. Schultz recorded her first career victory Jan. 8, 2022, at Oaklawn. She has 41 career Oaklawn victories, including nine at the 2025-2026 meeting that concluded May 2.

Two-time Oaklawn riding champion Francisco Arrieta rode a career-high six winners Saturday at Ellis Park, including favored Banishing in the Jeff Hall Memorial Stakes.

After finishing third in the first race, Arrieta won his final six mounts. Arrieta won the second race aboard Tiz Candy ($10.48) for trainer Eddie Kenneally, third race aboard Stone County ($14.50) for trainer Destin Heath, fourth race aboard Groveland ($8.02) for Kenneally, sixth race aboard Zat’s the One ($8.84) for trainer Phil D’Amato, seventh race aboard Insightful Miss ($17.92) for trainer Jason Cook and the Jeff Hall Memorial, race eight, aboard millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Banishing ($4.62) for co-owner/trainer David Jacobson.

A native of Venezuela, Arrieta had previously ridden five winners on a card three times: Feb. 11, 2019, at Turf Paradise; March 16, 2019, at Turf Paradise; and March 14, 2025, at Oaklawn.

The five-bagger at Oaklawn sparked Arrieta to his second riding title in Hot Springs, where he won 41 races over the final 23 racing days in 2024-2025 to finish with 65 victories. Arrieta tied for the 2021-2022 Oaklawn riding title with 62 victories.

Arrieta rode 69 winners to finish second in the 2025-2026 Oaklawn standings. He led all riders in purse earnings ($6 million) and set a single-season Oaklawn record for stakes victories (12). Arrieta has 378 career Oaklawn victories, the first coming Jan. 23, 2021.

Banishing won the Jeff Hall Memorial by one length over Oaklawn stakes winner Dreaminblue. Banishing has six career stakes victories, including the inaugural $145,000 Byerley Turk Overnight and $500,000 G3-Oaklawn Mile in 2025 at Oaklawn, and earnings of $3,102,989.

Banishing also won the 2025 Jeff Hall Memorial, which was for 3-year-olds and up at 6 ½ furlongs.

Arrieta (16 victories) is the leading rider at Ellis Park. The meet ends Aug. 23.

Finish Lines

Favored Oaklawn-raced Journalism ($2.40) won the G2-San Diego Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Del Mar. … Oaklawn maiden graduate G T Five Hundred ($64.20) won the G2-Connaught Cup Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 7 ½ furlongs on the turf Sunday at Woodbine. Oaklawn-raced Maycocks Bay was third. … Oaklawn allowance winner Miss Authentic ($15.20) won the Maggie L. Walker Stakes Saturday at Colonial Downs. Multiple Oaklawn winner Pink Ruby finished third, beaten three-quarters of a length. … Two-time Oaklawn winner Money Game finished second in the G3-Monmouth Cup Stakes Saturday. Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Skippylongstocking finished third. … Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Nerazurri finished third in the G2-Molly Pitcher Stakes Saturday at Monmouth Park. … Oaklawn-raced Evanescence finished third in the Twin Bridges Stakes Sunday at Ellis Park.