2026.02.27 Oaklawn Racing Updates

Racing Updates
Compiled by Robert Yates

Contact: Chris Ho Vice President of Marketing

cho@oaklawn.com, 501-623-4411 ext. 4201

Friday, Feb. 27, 2026

Another Deville found the Oaklawn winner’s circle.

Trainer Kyle Deville saddled his first career winner Sunday when Front Runnin captured the seventh race, a $125,000 entry-level allowance/optional claiming sprint for 3-year-old fillies, under Cristian Torres.

Front Runnin ($28.60) represented the 12th career starter for Deville, 30, the son of trainer Carl Deville and younger brother of trainer Chasey Deville Pomier.

Kyle Deville had to wait a few additional minutes for his milestone victory. Front Runnin crossed the finish line second, but Torres claimed foul against jockey Emmanuel Esquivel, the rider of original first-place finisher Our Two Girls, for interference in the stretch. Following the objection and a stewards’ inquiry, Front Runnin was placed first.

“Front Runnin, I like her a lot and had a real good feeling about her going in,” Deville said during training hours Thursday morning. “Tote board really didn’t, but I had a feeling. She’s been training well and brought her up here. I don’t like entering unless I know they’re going to have a shot.”

Front Runnin’s two previous starts where at the Fair Grounds, where Deville made his training debut Jan. 3. Deville said he moved nine horses to Oaklawn, including Front Runnin, in conjunction with the start of its Classic racing season Feb. 5. His first Oaklawn starter, Caroom’s Croupier, finished second, beaten a half-length, in a maiden-claiming sprint Feb. 20. Front Runnin, a daughter of War Front, had previously been trained by Deville’s father and sister.

Carl Deville had six training victories at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, including the $150,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes and $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes with Arkansas-bred standout Tempt Fate. Deville Pomier saddled Free Like a Girl to a 2024 allowance victory at Oaklawn and runner-up finishes behind 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in its $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) and $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) last season.

Free Like a Girl ($2,565,628) retired late last year as the all-time leading accredited Louisiana-bred money winner in history for an ownership group that included Gerald Bruno Jr., Carl Deville and Pomier Deville. Free Like a Girl, on the cusp of a broodmare career, was recently euthanized following a trailer accident.

“That was tough,” Kyle Deville said. “Still grieve about it. She’s the one that kind of got me back into it.”

Deville said he grew up around his father’s barn but was working in construction when Free Like a Girl began her racing career in the spring of 2021.

“I was coming back from a job in Texas and he was like: ‘Come to Delta, I’ve got this monster running.’ I stopped by. She won by 19 (lengths) that day. That kind of got me back into it. I was away for 10 years. I had a good job working construction for nine years.”

After reuniting with his father, Deville said he eventually became barn foreman, then assistant, and also hauled his horses. Deville co-owns Front Runnin with his father, sister and Bruno.

Kyle Deville said Front Runnin is under consideration for the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes March 14 at Oaklawn. The Purple Martin is for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

Deville said he plans to be based in Kentucky this spring. Oaklawn’s meeting ends May 2.

“We’ve got a bunch of 2-year-olds,” Deville said. “We’ll go up to Kentucky and see what we’ve got there.”

The Pig Trail

Oaklawn added six new overnight stakes – all worth $135,000 – to its 2025-2026 racing calendar, increasing the overall total to a single-season record 62. The final new overnight stakes carded is Sunday’s Pig Trail for older horses at 1 ½ miles.

Oaklawn owner Louis Cella named the race after a picturesque stretch of roadway between Ozark and Fayetteville in Northwest Arkansas. Twisting, mountainous and heavily wooded, the Pig Trail is a popular route for fans attending Arkansas Razorbacks sporting events in Fayetteville.

Asked if he had driven the Pig Trail, Cella said: “Oh, gosh yes.”

“When I was in law school in Fayetteville, that was before the highway (Interstate 49) was completed, so that (Pig Trail) was one of the main thoroughfares to get to Little Rock,” Cella said.

Sunday’s race is a major local prep for the $200,000 Temperence Hill Stakes at 1 ½ miles March 28. The Pig Trail drew six entrants, including Grade 2 winner Catching Freedom for trainer Brad Cox and Grade 3 winner Batten Down for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

New overnight stakes races run earlier in the meeting were the Astral Spa for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs, Silks for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, Oaklawn Anywhere for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs, Oaklawn Sports for 4-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles and “The Coach” for 4-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. The Coach was named for D. Wayne Lukas, the late Hall of Fame trainer and two-time Oaklawn training champion.

Oaklawn has added 16 new overnight stakes races the last three seasons to enhance its biggest days (Arkansas Derby, Rebel, etc.) and boost non-Saturday cards.

“It’s always challenging,” Cella said of naming stakes. “I blame (racing secretary) Pat Pope for this idea, coming up with a stakes every weekend. That means we had to come up with creative names. But it’s fitting, it’s fun, and it’s really by design to have a big race every weekend because we know that’s what our fans want. And now we’re in a position to afford that and put on that kind of show.”

Finish Lines

Jockey Ramon Vazquez rode two more winners Thursday to maintain a narrow lead in the race for leading jockey. Vazquez won the third race aboard Western Warrior ($9.40) for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and the seventh race aboard Brienz ($9.60) for trainer Danny Pish. Vazquez has ridden 15 winners over the last six racing days (all multi-win days) and has 34 victories overall, two more than two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres. Vazquez has never won an Oaklawn riding title. … Pish also won Thursday’s ninth and final race with Lady Belle ($15.20) to record his first career Oaklawn training double. The Texas-based Pish has 2,735 career North American victories, including 19 at Oaklawn. Lady Belle represented the first Oaklawn winner sired by near-millionaire Leofric, who was campaigned by trainer Brad Cox and owner Steve Landers, a prominent Arkansas automobile dealer and member of the Arkansas Racing Commission. Leofric won four races at Oaklawn and capped his career (8 for 14) with a victory in the Clark Handicap (G1) in 2018 at Churchill Downs. Pish’s Oaklawn division is overseen by assistant Alexa Gerstel. … Jockey Amir Mendoza, Oaklawn’s runaway leader in the apprentice standings, had a double Thursday. Mendoza won the fourth race aboard favored Thea ($5.20) for trainer Shea Stuart and the sixth race aboard Mad About Marie ($51) for trainer Ike Green. Mendoza has 14 victories through 26 racing days. … Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Sunday for the $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 7. The Azeri, which is for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles, closed Feb. 21 with 27 nominations, including projected starters in champion Nitrogen and millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner La Cara for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, multiple stakes winner Standoutsensation for trainer Tom Amoss, multiple Oaklawn graded stakes winner Quietside for trainer John Ortiz and Perfect Shot for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Perfect Shot, in her last start, gave Asmussen his fifth consecutive victory in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 24 at Sam Houston Race Park.