The opening weekend of the new year at Oaklawn Park features nine newly-turned 3-year-olds in the $250,000 Smarty Jones, the first of four Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying races at the track in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The weather forecast is promising for Saturday-- sunny skies and temperatures up to the high 50s, mean that could give bettors an early feel for Derby prospects who fare well in the 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones.
Post time for the race, the 10th of 11 on the card, is 5:25 p.m. ET.
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Universe, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, has been around with four races as a 2-year-old. A son of Global Campaign, the bay colt won in his career debut at Saratoga on Aug. 30 by 4 ½ lengths despite slamming into the gate at the start of the 7-furlong race.
Trainer Kenny McPeek sent him right to Grade 1 territory where he finished third behind Napoleon Solo and Talkin after getting bumped in the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct on Oct. 4.
He ran second in his last two starts, the Street Sense Stakes (G3) and the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), both at Churchill Downs, and has already chalked up 13 Derby qualifying points.
The Smarty Jones awards Derby points on a sliding scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers. Already well-seasoned against top competition, McPeek is looking for a strong effort on Saturday.
McPeek and Universe co-owner 4G Racing, teamed to win the 2024 Derby with Mystik Dan, who ran fifth in the Smarty Jones.
Universe will be ridden by Joel Rosario and leave from gate 1.
Another top contender is Gary and Mary West’s homebred Rancho Santa Fe. A son of top sire Tapit, the colt is 2-for-2 – a maiden win at Ellis Park and an allowance optional claiming victory at Keeneland. This is a time for trainer Brad Cox to see if he has himself a legit Derby prospect.
Florida-bred Strategic Risk, one of two entries for trainer Mark Casse, comes into the race off a nine-length win in the In Reality Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 29.
He’s won two of five starts. In two graded stakes races over the summer at Saratoga, he finished fourth in the Sanford (G3) and sixth in the With Anticipation (G3).
Casse’s other entry is Silent Tactic, a runner-up in the Grey Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles at Woodbine (over a synthetic track) on Nov. 2. He’s 12-1 and making his dirt debut.
Boca Beach Club, 4-1, has a winning name, especially with winter upon us. He steps up in distance, and his pedigree would seem to make that a good thing. He’ll be racing beyond 5 ½ furlongs for the first time, should be at the front early, and the race should give trainer James DeVito a better idea about the colt’s Derby prospects.
Watch out for the trainer-jockey duo of Ricky Courville-Ramon Vazquez. Courville sends out Scar Ship at 12-1 from gate 8. In 2022, they teamed up to pull off one of the biggest stakes upsets in Oaklawn Park history – a win in the Rebel Stakes (G2) with the one-eyed Un Ojo, who returned $152.80 on a $2 win bet.
The Smarty Jones is one of two Derby preps on Saturday, the other is the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.
Among the notable winners of the Smarty Jones are Catching Freedom (2024), Will Take Charge (2013), Caleb’s Posse (2011) and Flat Out (2009).
The picks: 1 Rancho Santa Fe 2 Universe 3 Scar Ship
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
