10/22/26 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
Twenty Oaklawn-raced horses, including eight stakes winners in Hot Springs, are pre-entered in the 43rdannual Breeders’ Cup World Championships Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
Pre-entries were announced Wednesday for the 14 Grade 1 races, including five for 2-year-olds Oct. 30.
Oaklawn-raced horses were pre-entered in six of the nine races Oct. 31. The heaviest concentration is in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint at 7 furlongs, with eight pre-entered – Evanescence, Explora, Foie Gras, Kerry’s Kiss, Look Forward, Majestic Oops, Praying andSimply Joking.
Foie Gras ($135,000 Oaklawn Anywhere Overnight last December and $135,000 Bugler Overnight last February) and Majestic Oops ($200,000 Dig a Diamond in 2025 and $400,000 G2 Azeri last March) are multiple Oaklawn stakes winners. Explora won the $750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) last March at Oaklawn.
Oaklawn-raced Shisospicy is pre-entered against males in the $1 million Turf Sprint at 5 ½ furlongs. Shisospicy won the 2025 Turf Sprint (G1) en route to an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion female sprinter.
Pre-entrants in the $1 million Dirt Mile include Oaklawn allowance winner Forged Steel, multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle and Oaklawn-raced Full Serrano.
Coal Battle won the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) in 2025 at Oaklawn. The Smarty Jones and Rebel are traditionally Oaklawn’s first and third Kentucky Derby qualifying races, respectively. Full Serrano won the 2024 Dirt Mile (G1).
Oaklawn-raced Hymn, Mad House, Roll On Big Joeand Stradale are pre-entered in the $2 million Sprint (G1) at 6 furlongs.
Mad House won the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3), Oaklawn’s biggest event for older sprinters, last April. Roll On Big Joe is a multiple Oaklawn stakes winner, taking the $150,000 Ring the Bell last December and $150,000 King Cotton last February.
Eclipse Award winner Nitrogen and Regaled are the two Oaklawn-raced pre-entrants in the $2 million Distaff at 1 1/8 miles. Nitrogen won the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) last February at Oaklawn in her 2026 debut.
Oaklawn-raced reigning Horse of the Year Sovereigntyand Oaklawn stakes winner Magnitude are pre-entered in the $7 million Classic at 1 ¼ miles.
Sovereignty, in his 4-year-old debut, finished second in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) last April. Magnitude opened 2026 with a victory in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) last February at Oaklawn.
Praying (first preference is the Filly & Mare Sprint) is also pre-entered in the Sprint. Forged Steel (first preference is the Dirt Mile) is also pre-entered in the Classic. Hymn (first preference is the Sprint) is also pre-entered in the Dirt Mile.
Oaklawn-raced Breeders’ Cup pre-entrants accounted for seven “Win and You’re In” events since the 2025-2026 meeting ended last May.
Earning automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup were Nitrogen (G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes/Distaff), Magnitude (G1 Stephen Foster Stakes/Classic), Sovereignty (G1 Whitney Stakes/Classic), Hymn (G1 Forego Stakes/Dirt Mile), Kerry’s Kiss (G3 Princess Rooney Stakes/Filly & Mare Sprint), Forged Steel (G1 Goodwood Stakes/Classic) and Evanescence (G2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes/Filly & Mare Sprint).
Entry deadline for the Breeders’ Cup is 9 a.m. (Central) Monday. Post positions will be drawn at 3 p.m. (Central) Monday.
Finish Lines
Oaklawn opened for training Wednesday in advance of the 2026-2027 meeting (Nov. 27-May 1). Training hours this week are 7 a.m.-9 a.m. (Central). Officially timed workouts begin Tuesday. … Oaklawn allowance winner Cupids Crush (#1, 12/1) is entered in the first division of the Perfect Sting Stakes for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at 7 furlongs on the turf Friday at Belmont Park. … Oaklawn allowance winner Stars and Stripes (#8, 3/1) is the program favorite for the Fayette Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles Saturday at Keeneland. Also entered are Oaklawn allowance winners Hit Show (#1, 4/1) and San Siro (#3, 6/1), Oaklawn stakes winners Alexander Helios (#2, 20/1), Silent Tactic (#10, 15/1)and Willy D’s (#11, 8/1), Oaklawn debut winner This is Uscar (#5, 10/1) and Oaklawn-raced Tiztastic (#6, 10/1). … Oaklawn-raced Blackout Time (#1, 12/1) and Banksy’s (AE13, 8/1) are entered in the Bryan Station Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds at 1 mile on the turf Saturday at Keeneland.
