2025.12.19 Oaklawn Racing Updates

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Contact: Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing

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

Friday, Dec. 19, 2025

Trainer Sarah Shaffer calls American Law her big horse.

Her big horse did big things in Sunday’s eighth race at Oaklawn, a one-mile starter allowance that featured four next-out runners from the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel Nov. 15 at Churchill Downs.

American Law, under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres, swept to the lead turning for home and held off Dr. Storm by a neck to give Shaffer her first career victory.

American Law ($24.60) represented the 13th career starter for Shaffer, 42, a former jockey who struck out on her own in early June in Kentucky after working the last several years as an assistant and/or exercise rider for several nationally prominent trainers, including Mike Maker, Saffie Joseph Jr. and Mike Trombetta.

American Law was making his fourth start for Shaffer since she claimed the 7-year-old Constitution gelding on behalf of prominent New York owner Jason Provenzano (Flying P Stable) for $40,000 July 20 at Ellis Park.

“He (American Law) loves that mile distance here and Cristian knows him so well,” Shaffer said Thursday morning. “We were all riding together on that race. Cristian wanted to win it so bad for me. Jason wanted to be my first win as an owner. It all came together.”

As American Law galloped out past the wire (mile races at Oaklawn begin and end at the sixteenth pole), Torres raised his right arm in celebration and pointed to Shaffer, who watched the race on the grandstand apron across from the regular finish line. Torres had ridden the gelding three times last season at Oaklawn, including a victory in a $40,000 claimer at 1 1/16 miles.

“We were talking the whole week about that horse because I won on him last year,” Torres said. “She let me ride him back, along with the owner, Jay Provenzano. I get along with that horse pretty good. I was just really happy for Sarah. She really works hard every morning. Just really, really happy about it. That’s why I pointed at her.”

American Law is one of nine horses at Oaklawn for Shaffer, who took a serpentine route to the winner’s circle for the first time as a trainer.

Originally from West Grove, Pa., Shaffer was into rodeo and showing horses as a teenager before she began working for retail home improvement giant Lowe’s in 2008. Four years later, she had risen to assistant manager at its Avondale, Pa., store. Still dabbling in show horses at the time, a chance meeting with Pennsylvania Thoroughbred trainer Brian Malone triggered an unexpected career U-turn.

Shaffer left Lowe’s several months later, steered by Malone to Pennsylvania breeders Larry and Laura Ensor. Shaffer said she began breaking babies at their farm and was “legged up” on some of their steeplechase horses. Shaffer said the Ensors also had a business relationship with Thoroughbred trainer Chuck Simon, who was stabled at a New Jersey training center, adding she would drive there on weekends to learn how to breeze horses.

Shaffer said she began riding steeplechase races in the spring of 2013, with appearances in the prestigious Maryland Hunt Cup in 2015 and 2016, a point-to-point career highlight.

Shaffer began transitioning to flat racing in the summer of 2013 as an exercise rider for Trombetta and trainer Graham Motion at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, then took a full-time salary job galloping horses for Trombetta in the summer of 2014.

Shaffer began riding flat races as a 10-pound apprentice during the fall of 2016 and rode her first winner Oct. 29, 2016, at Laurel. Shaffer’s riding career was derailed when she broke her collarbone, three ribs and seven vertebrae in a Nov. 12, 2016, spill at Laurel.

After retiring from riding in early 2017, Shaffer became Trombetta’s top assistant at Fair Hill in September 2018. Shaffer was also Trombetta’s riding assistant at Saratoga in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and became Joseph’s traveling assistant in September 2021, accompanying Drain the Clock to the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in March 2022.

Shaffer began galloping horses for trainer Robertino Diodoro in November 2022 at Oaklawn and was his assistant in 2023 at Saratoga. Stints under Maker and trainers John Terranova and Lindsay Schultz, the latter last season at Oaklawn, followed before she launched her training career.

Shaffer said winning her first race for Provenzano was special because she galloped horses for the colorful owner – his silks are hot pink – when she worked for Diodoro and Maker. American Law is the first horse Shaffer has trained for Provenzano. Shaffer decided in September 2024 to begin preparing to go out on her own.

“Jay had told me: ‘When you’re ready (to start training), let me know and I’ll help you get started,’” Shaffer said. “So, he’s been a big player from the beginning, getting my name seen and getting me a decent horse from the start.”

American Law was exiting a troubled 10th-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Claiming Crown Jewel.

Shaffer started her first horse July 3 at Ellis Park. Prior to Sunday, her best finish had been a second with American Law in a $50,000 off-the-turf claiming event Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs. American Law, in his debut for Shaffer, ran third in a starter-allowance sprint Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs.

“I knew it would come,” Shaffer said. “I knew he (American Law) was going to be the one to get it done.”

Shaffer, who gets on her horses in the morning, plans to make Arkansas and Kentucky her year-round circuit. She has a home about 10 minutes from Oaklawn.

American Law ($502,404) surpassed $500,000 in career earnings with Sunday’s victory, his seventh in 45 starts overall.

Bo Knows Oaklawn

The road to Oaklawn’s biggest Arkansas-bred sprint stakes race begins in Saturday’s fourth race, a $117,000 state-bred allowance for 3-year-olds and up that haven’t won two races, other than maiden, claiming or starter, since Sept. 20.

The six-furlong event features the last two winners of the $150,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes in Bohemian Bo (2024) and Navy Seal (2025).

The speedy Bohemian Bo is the 5-2 program favorite for trainer Tommy Vance of Hot Springs. Bohemian Bo hasn’t started since finishing 10th against open company in a June 26 allowance sprint at Churchill Downs.

“I’ve had him back since the first of September,” Vance said. “I’ve been pointing for this race since then because the (condition) book was already out.”

Bohemian Bo has a 4-4-0 record from 13 career starts at Oaklawn, with earnings of $439,671. He finished fourth in the 2025 Nodouble.

The 3-1 second choice in the program is Navy Seal for trainer Nancy Knott. Navy Seal hasn’t started finishing second against open company in a Aug. 24 allowance sprint at Hawthorne.

The $150,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes is Feb. 21.

Finish Lines

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse’s Grade 1 winners Sandman (2025 Arkansas Derby) and La Cara (2025 Ashland and Acorn) highlighted Friday’s Oaklawn work tab. La Cara, under exercise rider Autumn Lavertu, worked in company with stablemate French Friction just after the track opened for training. La Cara covered five furlongs in 1:00.60 after recording splits of :25 for the opening quarter-mile and :37 for three furlongs, according to clockers. La Cara galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40. The track was fast. Casse said La Cara is targeting the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Feb. 7 at Oaklawn for her 4-year-old debut. The 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa is for older fillies and mares. French Friction is an unstarted 2-year-old filly. Lavertu was also aboard Sandman for his solo five-furlong work just after the first surface renovation break. Sandman went five furlongs in 1:00.80 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14.60. His early splits were :24.20 and :36.60. Casse said Sandman’s major spring objective is the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles April 18. … Eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. enters the weekend with 798 career victories in Hot Springs. … Nominations closed Thursday for the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 3. Trainer Kenny McPeek said he could have as many as three entrants in the Smarty Jones, which is Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby points race. McPeek said Sleepingonfreedom (two for three overall) is pointing for the Smarty Jones, while stakes-placed Universe and Honey’s to Blame, a Dec. 13 Oaklawn maiden special weight winner, are under consideration for the race. McPeek won the 2022 Smarty Jones with Dash Attack and finished fifth in 2024 with eventual Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan.