Let’s hear it for 72-year-old trainer Lonnie Briley, the ‘Rebel Rouser’ on the Road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) for the first time with his little bay colt Coal Battle.
Sweeping past the field around the turn, Coal Battle outkicked pacesetter Madaket Road in the stretch and won the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park on Sunday.
For Briley, a Louisiana native based at Delta Downs, it was the first graded stakes victory in his 34-year career as a trainer. Not to mention his first Derby contender and the new top horse on the Kentucky Derby prep races leaderboard.
“My throat hurts from yelling so much,’’ Briley said after Coal Battle extended his winning streak to four. “That was a tough field, and I was worried. He had to be in the right place to get around ‘em, and he has done it!’’
Yes, he did. Coal Battle ($25.80 on a $2 win bet) earned 50 points to move to the top of the leaderboard at 70. He won the Springboard Mile at Remington Park and the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn in his previous two starts, each worth 10 Derby points.
The 1 1/16-mile Rebel, postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to cold temperatures in the region, awarded 50-25-15-10-5 Derby points to the top five finishers.
Madaket Road, ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. for trainer Bob Baffert, moved to the lead from post 5 in the field of 13 and set fast fractions of 22.47 seconds for the first quarter, 45.72 for the half and 1:10.94 after three-quarters. But Coal Battle, racing in fifth place under Juan Vargas, made a considerable move midway through the turn, going five wide, collared Madaket Road in the stretch, and won by 1¼ lengths.
The winning time for the race was 1:43.01.
“It’s crazy,’’ said Briley. “He surprises me every trip. When he started moving, I thought it was a little early, but it wasn’t.”
And when the field turned for home, Briley knew he had a winner.
“I said, ‘he won’t quit.’ And when he caught that other horse and fought with him and went by him, I said, ‘it’s done,’’ the trainer said.
Madaket Road picked up 25 points and moved into fifth on the Kentucky Derby prep races leaderboard with 31 points. Baffert now has four 3-year-olds in the top 15 – Citizen Bull (second), Getaway Car (third), Madaket Road (fifth), and Gaming (15th), plus a leading Derby contender in Barnes, 2-0 but currently without Derby points.
Sandman, the 5-2 favorite, finished with a rush for third to pick up 15 points (25 total), with Publisher fourth and Tiztastic fifth. Admiral Dennis was next, followed by Hypnus, Bereton’s Baytown, Dreaminblue, Speed King, Hot Gunner, Innovator, and Smoken Wicked. Bullard was scratched.
Coal Battle, a son of Coal Front, was purchased by Robbie Norman’s Norman Stables for $70,000 at the Texas Thoroughbred Association yearling sale in 2023 at Lone Star Park. And now this little guy is taking his owner, trainer, and jockey on the ride of a lifetime.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
