Oaklawn Stakes Advance – Dixie Belle 2026

Stakes Advance – $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes
Compiled by Robert Yates

Friday, Feb. 13, 2026

Unbeaten Little Miss Curlin is the 8-5 program favorite for the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn.

The six-furlong Dixie Belle goes as the ninth of 11 races, with probable post time 4:38 p.m. CST. Racing begins at 12:30 p.m.

Trained by Patrick Devereux, Little Miss Curlin will be racing outside Louisiana and in open company for the first time. She’s won her four career starts sprinting, including three stakes, by a combined 18 ¼ lengths. Little Miss Curlin, favored in every start, will be looking to add to her family’s Oaklawn legacy in the Dixie Belle, which drew 10 entrants.

Little Miss Curlin is from the first crop of Charlatan, who won the first division of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) in 2020 at Oaklawn. Little Miss Curlin’s dam, Mylady Curlin, was a 2019 Oaklawn allowance winner and concluded her racing career with a runner-up finish in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) in 2020 at Oaklawn.

Little Miss Curlin races for her Louisiana breeder, Coteau Grove Farms (Keith and Ginger Myers), which purchased Mylady Curlin, in foal to Charlatan, for $550,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s November Sale in 2022.

Jockey Ramon Vazquez has the call on Little Miss Curlin from post 6. French Friction, Woodstock, Paving, Wakuda, Evolution, Revera, Have Faith, Glazin’ Fury and Just Bluffing are also entered.

Lightly raced French Friction (3-1) will be making her stakes and 3-year-old debut after a sixth-length victory Dec. 27 at Oaklawn for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. French Friction drew the rail for the Dixie Bell.

“We were going to run her long and the race got knocked out because of the (winter) storm,” Casse said. “She’s a pretty good horse. Last year, early on, I thought she was one of the best 2-year-olds we had and then she had some setbacks.”

Paving (6-1) won her first two starts sprinting for trainer Tom Amoss before concluding her 2-year-old campaign with a fourth-place finish in the $150,000 Year’s End Stakes at one mile Dec. 27 at Oaklawn.

Revera (10-1) exits a runner-up finish behind Explora in the Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs Jan. 10 at Santa Anita for trainer John Sadler. Explora finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Revera, who has never raced outside California, scored her biggest career victory to date in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs Nov. 16 at Del Mar.

Evolution removes blinkers for trainer John Ortiz.