2025.12.20 Oaklawn Racing Updates

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025

Trainer H. Ray Ashford Jr.’s 988th career winner made quite the impression.

Favored D’code rocketed to a front-running 8 ¼-length debut victory in Sunday’s fourth race at Oaklawn, a dazzling performance that has his connections already considering a major Kentucky Derby prep for his next start.

D’code’s winning time of 1:09.57 in the $100,000 maiden special weight race was the fastest six-furlong clocking in Oaklawn history for a 2-year-old and generated a gaudy 99 Beyer Speed Figure, second-highest for a 2-year-old nationally in 2025.

“It was pretty awesome,” Ashford said Friday morning. “We liked the colt all along, but he ran better than we expected. I thought the horse would win, but I didn’t think he’d win in that fashion.”

Ashford said D’code could make his next start in the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 31 at Oaklawn, which would mark his two-turn debut.

Two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres rode D’code, a gray son of deceased sprint champion Speightstown, to his blowout victory for breeder/owner Tom Durant, a Texas automobile dealer.

D’code had 10 published workouts since Sept. 13 in advance of his career debut – seven at Remington Park and three at Oaklawn. Torres was aboard for the final work, a swift half-mile move from the gate (:47.40) Dec. 7 at Oaklawn.

D’code ($5.80) cruised through a :45.33 half-mile in his debut and widened his advantage through the stretch under token encouragement.

“Nice horse,” Torres said. “There’s nothing much more I can say. He proved how good he is. He showed me that in the morning and I was hoping he would show me that in the afternoon. I loved him since I first got on him. He was really mature for a horse that never started. Coming from Oklahoma, he was very mature, very focused. He was great.”

Ashford said D’code “was a handful” when he returned to the track for the first time since his victory Thursday morning.

Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races is the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3. The series continues with the Southwest. Both races are 1 1/16 miles.

“I think we’re kind of leaning toward the Southwest right now,” Ashford said. “The Smarty Jones is just too quick back. He came back fine. I don’t think he ran that hard, but being a 2-year-old I don’t want to blow his mind. No need to push because he’s a nice horse.”

The Smarty Jones closed Thursday with 69 nominations.

Ashford enters Saturday with 988 career North American victories, the first coming July 14, 1991, at Ruidoso Downs, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Ashford has 19 horses at Oaklawn, including 15 for Durant.

Finish Lines

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen swept Friday’s early daily double, pushing his career-record Oaklawn total to 996. Asmussen won the first race with Pronghorn ($6.60) and the second race with Bye Bye Brady ($16.80). Asmussen’s youngest son, Erik Asmussen, rode both winners. Pronghorn broke her maiden for nationally prominent owner Kaleem Shah, who bred the 3-year-old filly in partnership. Pronghorn is by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify out of the Shah-raced Donna Veloce, runner-up in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Erik Asmussen won an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion apprentice of 2024. … Dreaminblue ($12.80) won Friday’s inaugural $135,000 Silks Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters. Rafael Bejarano rode Dreaminblue for trainer Randy Morse, who recorded his 350th career Oaklawn victory. Morse is the 12th-winningest trainer in Oaklawn history. Dreaminblue ran six furlongs over a fast track in a meet-best 1:09.10. … Apprentice jockey Amir Mendoza recorded his first career North American riding double Friday, winning the third race aboard favored Mad About Marie ($5.20) for trainer Genaro Garcia and the eighth race aboard Gloriette ($17) for trainer Shea Stuart. … Mad About Marie was the 993rd career North American victory for Garcia, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Garcia recorded his 994th career North American victory Friday night at Turfway Park.