06/04/26 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
Arkansas Derby winner Renegade is the 2-1 program favorite for the $2 million G1-Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, Saturday at Saratoga. The 1 ¼-mile Belmont headlines a 14-race card. Probable post time for the Belmont, race 13, is 6:04 p.m. CDT.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Renegade was a sparkling last-to-first winner of the $1.5 million G1-Arkansas Derby March 28 at Oaklawn. Renegade won the 1 1/8-mile race by four lengths as the even-money favorite under regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. It was a record sixth Arkansas Derby victory for Pletcher and stamped Renegade the 4-1 program favorite for the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Renegade, who drew the rail, rallied from far back to finish a troubled second in the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby. Renegade was beaten a neck by Golden Tempo after being bounced around early, racing in traffic while wide on the second turn and being bumped again in the upper stretch.
Renegade is one of nine horses entered in the Belmont, which is being run again at Saratoga because of Belmont Park’s renovation. The race is traditionally 1 ½ miles.
Renegade is scheduled to break from post 4. All starters carry 126 pounds.
The Belmont is one of seven stakes races on the card. In other races, Oaklawn stakes winner Saudi Crown and Oaklawn-raced Journalism are entered in the G1-Met Mile for 3-year-olds and aup, Oaklawn stakes winner Obliteration and Oaklawn allowance winner Stradale are entered in the G1-Woody Stephens Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs and three-time Oaklawn winner Faust is entered in the G3-True North Stakes (G3) for older horses at 6 ½ furlongs,
The Metropolitan Handicap is a “Win and You’re In” for the $1 million G1-Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
The Acorn
Oaklawn-raced Counting Stars and Maximum Offer are entered in the $500,000 G1-Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles Friday at Saratoga.
Counting Stars won a meet-high three stakes races this season at Oaklawn for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and owner West Point Thoroughbreds, including the $1 million G2-Fantasy March 27. The 1 1/16-mile Fantasy was the country’s richest Kentucky Oaks prep this year. Counting Stars returned to finish third, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, in the $1.5 million G1-Kentucky Oaks May 1 at Churchill Downs.
Counting Stars (9-2 on the morning line) is scheduled to break from post 2 under Irad Ortiz Jr., who is reunited with the daughter of Honor A. P.
Maximum Offer (15-1) broke her maiden Jan. 4 at Oaklawn for trainer Kenny McPeek before finishing fourth, beaten a length, in the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 6. The Martha Washington was Oaklawn’s first of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races, a series that continued with the $750,000 G3-Honeybee Stakes March 1 and the Fantasy. Maximum Offer was the first Oaklawn winner sired by Maxfield, a millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner.
In addition to the Fantasy, Counting Stars won the $135,000 Astral Spa and $150,000 Year’s End in December at Oaklawn and finished second behind Explora in the Honeybee.
Explora and Honeybee third-place finisher Sneaky Good are entered in the seven-furlong $225,000 Leslie’s Lady Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Churchill Downs. Explora, in her last start, finished fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, the country’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. Explora is the 7-5 program favorite for the Leslie’s Lady.
The Leslie’s Lady also drew Have Faith, who exits a three-quarter length victory in the six-furlong $135,000 Southern Hospitality Stakes for 3-year-old fillies April 24 at Oaklawn.
The Ogden Phipps
Champion Nitrogen is the 7-5 program favorite for the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles Friday at Saratoga.
Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Nitrogen raced in Oaklawn’s three biggest two-turn races for older fillies and mares this season. Nitrogen won the $250,000 G3-Bayakoa Stakes Feb. 7, ran third in the $400,000 G2-Azeri Stakes March 7 and was second in the $1.25 million G1-Apple Blossom Handicap April 11. All three races were 1 1/16 miles.
Nitrogen will break from post 5 under regular rider Jose Ortiz and carry top weight of 124 pounds. Nitrogen was North America’s champion 3-year-old filly of 2025.
The Phipps attracted six horses, including Regaled (5-1) for trainer Whit Beckman and Alpine Princess (4-1) for trainer Brad Cox.
Regaled finished second in the Azeri and fourth in the Apple Blossom earlier this year. Alpine Princess ran fourth behind reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in the 2025 Azeri.
The Phipps is a “Win and You’re In” for the $2 million G1-Breeders’ Cup Distaff Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
Finish Lines
Oaklawn stakes winner Goodall ($10.26) won the $175,000 Jersey Girl Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs Thursday at Saratoga. Flavien Prat rode Goodall for all-time Oaklawn leading trainer Steve Asmussen. … Favored Instant Replay ($4.20) was a 1 ¼-length allowance winner Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis, which marked his 4-year-old debut. Instant Replay has six career victories, including Oaklawn’s $200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. … Oaklawn-raced Five G finished third in the $200,000 Mount Vernon Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares, 3 and up, at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Wednesday at Saratoga. … Oaklawn debut winner Taptastic is entered in the $500,000 G3-Matt Winn Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles Sunday at Churchill Downs. … Oaklawn-raced Concrete Glory is entered in the $100,000 Big Drama Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs Saturday at Gulfstream Park. … Oaklawn-raced Khon Han is entered in the $100,000 Not Surprising Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles over an all-weather surface Saturday at Gulfstream Park. … Oaklawn-raced Tarantino is entered in the $300,000 G3-Poker Stakes for older horses at one mile on the turf Sunday at Saratoga. … Two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres rode a Churchill Downs personal best four winners Wednesday. Torres won the first race aboard favored Midnight West ($5.48) for trainer Aaron Shorter, third race aboard Full Dolly ($6.20) for trainer Tom Drury Jr., fourth race aboard Invulnerable ($11.24) Hot Springs native Trisha Vance Duncan and the fifth race aboard Plot ($7.98) for Drury. Torres has 348 career Oaklawn victories, including a five-win day Feb. 20, 2023. He makes Arkansas and Kentucky his year-round circuit. … Jockey David Cabrera enters Thursday with 1,998 career North American victories, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Cabrera has 224 career victories at Oaklawn, including 62 in 2021-2022 when he shared the riding title and 18 this season. Cabrera is now riding at Lone Star Park in suburban Dallas and Fair Meadows in Oklahoma.
