2025.06.26 Oaklawn Racing Update

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Contact: Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing

cho@oaklawn.com, 501-623-4411 ext. 420

Thursday, June 26, 2025

In addition to winning Oaklawn’s biggest two-turn race for older horses, the $1.25 million G2-Oaklawn Handicap Skippylongstocking and First Mission have this in common: Neither has a Grade 1 victory on their sterling resumes.

Both take another shot Saturday at Churchill Downs in the $1 million G1-Stephen Foster Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile event for older horses that also drew 2024 Kentucky Derby and Oaklawn stakes winner Mystik Dan.

The Stephen Foster headlines 11 stakes races over the final two days of the Churchill Downs Spring Season. Skippylongstocking, First Mission and Mystik Dan are among 11 Oaklawn stakes winners entered in those black-type events Saturday and Sunday.

Probable post time for the Stephen Foster, a “Win and You’re In” for the $7 million G1-Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 1 at Del Mar, is 5:03 p.m. (Central). It is the 11th of 12 races.

Skippylongstocking won the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap in 2024 and finished third behind First Mission this year. Listed at 6-1 on the morning line, Skippylongstocking exits a three-quarter length victory in the $200,000 G2-Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes May 26 at Santa Anita. His ninth career stakes victory pushed Skippylongstocking’s earnings to $3,661,610. Skippylongstocking finished third in the 2024 Stephen Foster.

First Mission (4-1) hasn’t started since a sharp two-length victory in the April 19 Oaklawn Handicap. A career winner of $2,060,170, First Mission won the $600,000 G3-Essex Handicap in March 2024 at Oaklawn before finishing fourth in the Stephen Foster.

Mystik Dan (3-1) returns to Grade 1 company after winning the $275,000 G3-Blame Stakes May 31 at Churchill Downs. In his previous start, Mystik Dan finished second, beaten a nose by Saudi Crown, in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes May 3 at Oaklawn.

In 2024, Mystik Dan was a runaway winner of Oaklawn’s $800,000 G3-Southwest Stakes before winning the G1-Kentucky Derby. Oaklawn allowance winner Hit Show (9-2) and champion Sierra Leone, the 5-2 program favorite, are also entered in the projected seven-horse Stephen Foster field. All starters carry 124 pounds.

In other Churchill Downs’ stakes races Saturday, 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna is the 3-5 program favorite for the $500,000 G2-Fleur de Lis and Booth is the 2-1 program favorite for the 6 ½-furlong $250,000 G3-Kelly’s Landing.

The Fleur de Lis is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” for the $2 million G1-Distaff Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Thorpedo Anna is a three-time Oaklawn stakes winner, including the April 12 $1.25 million G1-Apple Blossom Handicap.

Booth, seeking his fifth consecutive victory, won three stakes races this season at Oaklawn, highlighted by the $500,000 G3-Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. The Kelly’s Landing also drew Oaklawn stakes winner Happy Is a Choice, who is cross-entered in the $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Saturday at Laurel. Happy Is a Choice won Oaklawn’s $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes Dec. 7 at Oaklawn.

Millionaire Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown is the 9-5 program favorite for Sunday’s $300,000 Hanshin Stakes at Churchill Downs. The early 2-1 second choice is multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Banishing. Banishing edged Saudi Crown by a length to win the $500,000 G3-Oaklawn Mile March 29.

The seven-furlong $250,000 Maxfield for 3-year-olds Sunday at Churchill Downs drew three Oaklawn stakes winners – Speed King, Max Got Excited and Kale’s Angel. Speed King is seeking his first victory since the $1 million G3-Southwest Stakes Jan 25 at Oaklawn. Max Got Excited, in his last start, upset Kale’s Angel in Oaklawn’s $175,000 Bachelor Stakes May 2. Kale’s Angel won the $150,000 Advent Stakes and $150,000 Renaissance Staks earlier in the 2024-2025 Oaklawn meeting.

Finish Lines

Trainer Lindsay Schultz, an Oaklawn regular, entered Thursday with 99 career victories. Schultz has one horse entered Thursday at Churchill Downs, one horse entered Friday at Churchill Downs and one horse entered Friday at Monmouth Park. Schultz has 32 career Oaklawn victories. … Jockey Alex Birzer entered Thursday with 3,995 career North American victories, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Birzer, now based at Prairie Meadows, has 339 career Oaklawn victories. He rode his 3,000th career North American winner Feb. 26, 2017, at Oaklawn.