Oaklawn: $1,250,000 Rebel Stakes (G2), Stakes Recaps

Compiled by Robert Yates | Photo Credit: Coady Media —-

Sunday, February 23

Coal Battle

HOT SPRINGS, AR – Norman Stables’ Coal Battle parlayed an explosive move on the second turn into a 1 ¼-length victory over Madaket Road in Oaklawn’s 1 1/16-miles $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Sunday afternoon.

Before a season-high crowd (estimated at 36,000), Coal Battle remained perfect in five dirt starts and secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby with his fourth consecutive stakes victory.

The Rebel was Oaklawn’s third of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races and allotted 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Coal Battle’s victory vaulted him to No. 1 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 70 points. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters. Coal Battle ($25.80) was making his first start since winning the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes – Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby qualifying race – by four lengths Jan. 4. The Smarty Jones was also 1 1/16 miles.

Madaket Road, who took the 13-horse field through stout fractions of :22.47, :45.76 and 1:10.94 for six furlongs, finished a half-length ahead of late-running Sandman, the 5-2 favorite. Publisher, Tiztastic, Admiral Dennis, Hypnus, Brereton’s Baytown, Dreaminblue, Speed King, Hot Gunner, Innovator and Smoken Wicked completed the order of finish. Bullard (fever) was scratched.

Coal Battle’s winning time over a fast track was 1:43.01. Juan Vargas rode Coal Battle for trainer Lonnie Briley, who opted to skip the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 25, which was Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Derby qualifying race.

Coal Battle set the pace in the Smarty Jones, but he came from well back after breaking from the rail in the Rebel.

The son of millionaire Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front (2019 Razorback Handicap), Coal Battle was fifth, eight lengths behind Madaket Road, after a half-mile, before an electrifying move around horses on the second turn.

Coal Battle quickly challenged Madaket Road on the outside in the upper stretch and struck the front approaching the sixteenth pole. Coal Battle, under left-handed urging, began to edge way in the final yards.

Coal Battle won for the fifth time in seven starts to raise his lifetime earnings to $1,188,875.

A $70,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale purchase, Coal Battle races for Robert Norman, an Alabama grocery store executive. Briley said he’s trained for approximately 10 years for Norman. The Rebel was Coal Battle’s fourth stakes victory.

Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby qualifying series concludes with the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 29.

Sunday’s 12-race program was delayed one day after Oaklawn adjusted its racing schedule earlier in the week because of arctic temperatures.

REBEL QUOTES

Winning jockey Juan Vargas (Coal Battle): “My plan was just to follow the leaders. At the three-eighths pole, I began to move and he just took off. He responded. I was so happy with that. I knew I had horse, but (Madaket Road) just kept running. Around the sixteenth pole, my horse started to put his neck in front and I knew I had more horse today and he ran well to the finish line. It’s the best race he’s ever run. The field was stronger than his previous races, for sure. There were some nice horses, horses that can run. He showed that he can run, too.”

Winning trainer Lonnie Briley (Coal Battle): “He (Juan Vargas) had him in the perfect position because I was a little worried about the 1 hole and so many horses in the race. And we figured the speed would have went, but we didn’t won’t him to get too far back. So, he had him in perfect position and he moved him at the right time. I always give him (Coal Battle) a little three-eighths (work) before his race and it’s like that’s where he wants to be. He ran big. He opened up on the field and he caught the lead horse (Madaket Road) and went by him. What can I say? You couldn’t ask for more.”

Second-place jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Madaket Road): “That was the plan (go to the lead). I was so close (to stealing it). He was running down the lane, but that other horse (Coal Battle) was coming. I’m happy. My horse ran a big race.”

Third-place jockey Cristian Torres (Sandman): “We had the trip we wanted. They were definitely flying around. They were rolling. He’s an easy horse to ride. I just put my hands down and let him do his thing. When I asked him, he was there for me. We had to go wide on the (second) turn because when we started making our move, the horses in front of me were just stopping. I had to go wide, but he made his move. He shows up every time. Definitely, the longer the better for him.”

10th-place jockey Rafael Bejarano (Speed King): “No excuses. The horse broke clean, beautiful. I knew those two horses (Madaket Road and Innovator) were going to go to the lead, so I tried to save ground. Took a hold a little bit to save a little bit of horse, but at the half-mile pole, they were going too fast. He kind of got tired a little bit in the end.”

Quietside
$500,000 HONEYBEE (G3)

A trip to Fair Grounds was just what the doctor ordered for Quietside, who returned to Arkansas, and the winner’s circle, in the $500,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

Although based at Oaklawn, trainer John Ortiz sent Quietside to Louisiana earlier this month to escape harsh winter weather in Arkansas that had disrupted the filly’s training. Quietside completed major preparations for the Honeybee with a blistering 5-furlong workout (:58.80) Feb. 16 under Jose Ortiz, who was also booked to ride her for the first time in the Honeybee, Oaklawn’s second of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races.

Quietside was exiting a troubled second-place finish in Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Oaks qualifying race, the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 25.

Quietside ($22.40) was able to secure a forward position from post 12 in the Honeybee and pressed front-running Five G from the start. Quietside finally stuck her head in front on the outside in midstretch and edged Five G by one length. Muhimma, the 4-5 favorite, was keen early and finished another 3 ½ farther back in third in her 2025 debut.

Muhimma suffered her first loss in four lifetime starts. The winning time over a fast track was 1:43.63.

The Honeybee marked the first career stakes victory for Quietside, a homebred daughter of the late Malibu Moon for Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony, the winningest owner in Oaklawn history. The Honeybee was Anthony’s 39th career Oaklawn stakes victory, equaling the late John Franks’ Oaklawn record. The Honeybee was Quietside’s first career stakes score.

Quietside collected 50 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points for the victory, her second in six lifetime starts, and raised her career earnings to $552,200. Quietside tops the leaderboard for the Kentucky Oaks, the country’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies, with 68 points.

HONEYBEE QUOTES

Winning jockey Jose Ortiz (Quietside): “Worked very good at the Fair Grounds. All the credit goes to Johnny (Ortiz). He took her over there just to get a work in her. The track here had been a little bit messy. I knew what I was riding. I liked her when I worked her. I rode her with a lot of confidence. I broke and made an early move to the first turn because I wanted to get a forward position. She was travelling good (on the second turn). I was waiting for the right moment to make my move. When I did it, she was there for me.”

Winning trainer Johnny Ortiz (Quietside): “We had a lot of plans with this filly. We wanted to be very strategical with the training, due to the weather. It hasn’t helped us a lot. It’s one of the worst winters we’ve seen around the nation. We came up with a plan to get her down south (Fair Grounds). Mr. John Ed (Anthony) wanted us to train down there. Got a work in her. Perfect trip. Got the job done.”

Third-place jockey Florent Geroux (Muhimma): “The horse was a little bit difficult the first quarter of a mile. Took me a little longer than I wanted to get her to settle. But after that, I really loved my trip. On the backside, I was sitting third, perfect, letting those horses go. They went very honest fractions. I thought I was going to run them down, but I just couldn’t.”

Fourth-place trainer Norm Casse (Necessity): “I’m very happy with that. The way that the track’s playing, she ran the race that I thought she could run. I’m happy with that.”

$500,000 RAZORBACK HANDICAP (G3)

Alexander Helios made his stakes debut a winning one. But just barely.

In a thrilling finish, Alexander Helios nipped Banishing by head to capture the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses. First Mission, the 2-1 favorite, was another neck farther back in third.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Alexander Helios ($18) shadowed front-running Banishing throughout the 1 1/16-miles race. Banishing led by a length through a half-mile in :47.60. The tempo quickened from there – 1:11.42 for 6 furlongs and 1:35.77 for a mile – as Alexander Helios, flanked by Banishing on the inside and First Mission on the outside, ultimately prevailed in a hard-fought battle to the wire.

Alexander Helios covered the distance in a meet-best 1:41.88. The track was fast.

A 5-year-old son of Cairo Prince, Alexander Helios won for the fifth time in 15 starts to raise his earnings to $542,170. Saffie Joseph Jr. trains Alexander Helios for John and Diane Fradkin. Alexander Helios was exiting an allowance victory Jan. 18 at Gulfstream Park.

happy with that. The way that the track’s playing, she ran the race that I thought she could run. I’m happy with that.”

RAZORBACK QUOTES

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Alexander Helios): “Honestly, he (trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.) just to ride my race. This horse shows a lot of natural speed. He breaks well and puts himself in the game. With the 2 (Banishing) going to the lead, the way they broke, it was just the right spot for him to be in and he was very happy with it. He’s a very hard-trying horse. He never gives up and showed his tenacity today. He battled all the way to the wire and got the job done.”

Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. via phone (Alexander Helios): “I thought he got it (win photo over Banishing). People were calling and texting, so that made me feel a little more confident. But you want to see the (slow-motion) replay. And once you saw the slow-mo, you were happy. From the quarter-pole, he was going good. But then First Mission was making that run. He’s a good horse and the inside horse (Banishing) is so game. It was a very close finish. Thankfully, we came out on top.”