2025.11.11 Oaklawn Racing Updates

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025

The arrows continue to point upward for trainer Greg Compton.

A North Little Rock, Ark., native, Compton has ridden the momentum of his strongest Oaklawn meeting to date into a banner 2025, already establishing personal bests across the board with roughly seven weeks remaining in the year.

“We’ve had a career year on wins and money earned, so everything’s going well,” Compton said. “We can’t complain.”

Compton, who started his first horse in 2006, won 21 races to finish fifth in the 2024-2025 Oaklawn standings. His horses earned $1,275,247 in purses. Compton’s previous single-season Oaklawn highs for victories and purse earnings, 14 and $907,795, respectively, came in 2023-2024.

Compton’s 2024-2025 meeting was highlighted by his first career Oaklawn stakes victory when G W’s Girl ran down future G1-Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Shisospicy in the $150,000 Mockingbird in early January. G W’s Girl returned the following month to win the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn. The Mockingbird and Dixie Belle were six-furlong races for 3-year-old fillies.

G W’s Girl is unraced since late September because of a minor foot problem, Compton said. She was scratched from an allowance turf sprint on Oct. 5 at Keeneland.

“She’s good now,” Compton said.

G W’s Girl returned to the work tab Tuesday morning at Oaklawn, covering a half-mile in :49.80. The track was fast.

Compton returns to Oaklawn with 27 horses, his largest local contingent to date, in advance of its 64-day split season that begins Dec. 12. He plans to keep approximately 10 more horses at a nearby training center.

In addition to G W’s Girl – the only horse to beat Shisospicy in six starts this year on American soil – Compton’s stable includes Kinzie Queen, third in the 2025 G2-Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico, and a pair of promising 2-year-olds in Nothing Personal and Embrace the Moment.

Kinzie Queen hasn’t started since finishing sixth in the G1-Alabama Stakes, one of the country’s biggest events for 3-year-old fillies, Aug. 16 at Saratoga. She returned to the work tab on Tuesday morning at Oaklawn.

Compton said Kinzie Queen is under consideration for the inaugural $135,000 Oaklawn Sports Overnight Stakes on Jan. 1. The 1 1/16-mile Oaklawn Sports Overnight is for 4-year-old fillies that have never won a stakes race, other than state-bred.

“That will probably be the main goal,” Compton said.

Nothing Personal, a son of Violence, won his Aug. 9 career debut at Colonial Downs before finishing fourth in his only other start, the Iroquois Stakes (G3) Sept. 13 at Churchill Downs.

Compton said next-race plans are pending for Nothing Personal, but Embrace the Moment is targeting the inaugural $135,000 Astral Spa Overnight Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs Dec. 14 at Oaklawn.

Embrace the Moment is by Grade 1 winner Yaupon, North America’s leading first-crop sire this year. Embrace the Moment hasn’t started since finishing sixth in the G3Pocahontas Stakes Sept. 13 at Churchill Downs because of a minor foot issue, Compton said.

“We should have her right,” Compton said. “I would say that little stake opening weekend is probably where we go.”

Compton trains G W’s Girl, Nothing Personal, and Embrace the Moment for major client Mag Racing (Arkansas natives Gregg Massanelli and Margaret Molleston) and co-owns Kinzie Queen with John Holleman, a Little Rock, Ark., attorney.

Compton has 42 victories from 206 starts overall this year, with his runners earning $2,123,509. His previous career highs for starts (167), victories (34), and purse earnings ($1,555,795) came in 2024.

Finish Lines

Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Dec. 5 for Oaklawn’s Dec. 12 opening-day card. The 64-day split season concludes May 2. … Tyler Bacon, Oaklawn’s champion apprentice jockey last season, recorded his first career Churchill Downs victory in Saturday’s sixth race aboard Couperin ($13.20) for 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman. Couperin was the 197th career victory for Bacon, who won 49 races last season at Oaklawn to finish fourth in the standings. … Oaklawn allowance winner Jokestar finished second in the G3-Autumn Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles over a synthetic surface Saturday at Woodbine. … Oaklawn-raced Lagynos dead-heated for third in the G3-River City Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the turf Saturday at Churchill Downs. … Oaklawn stakes winner Wild Bout Hilary finished third in the Treasure Chest Stakes for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at one mile Saturday at Delta Downs. … Oaklawn-raced The Donegal Clan finished third in the Delta Mile Stakes Saturday for 3-year-olds and up Saturday at Delta Downs.