12/14/25 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
Fittingly, trainer Kelly Von Hemel kicked off his Oaklawn meeting with a dramatic late score.
Von Hemel saddled first-time starter Fifty Four Yarder to a neck victory in Saturday’s ninth race, a $100,000 maiden special weight sprint for 2-year-olds. Fifty Four Yarder, a son of Violence, is owned by Iowa-based Albaugh Family Stables (Dennis Albaugh and son-in-law Jason Loutsch), a longtime Von Hemel client.
Loutsch is an Iowa State graduate who named Fifty Four Yarder in honor of Cyclones place-kicker Kyle Konrardy. Konrardy kicked 54-yard field goals late in the game to beat Iowa the last two seasons in the annual Cy-Hawk Showdown.
“He was already named Fifty Four Yarder from the game last year,” Von Hemel said. “And then the same kid kicked a 54-yarder to beat Iowa this year, so it worked out pretty good.”
Albaugh Family Stables, a nationally prominent operation, purchased Fifty Four Yarder for $400,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Whatmakessammy Run and Shakhimat, a multiple Grade 3 winner.
Fifty Four Yarder had nine published workouts since Sept. 26, including eight at Churchill Downs’ Trackside Training Center. One was a half-mile bullet (:46.20) Nov. 8.
Ridden Saturday by Israel Hernandez, Fifty Four Yarder ($33.40) was eighth early before launching a grinding three-wide move on the turn, then collared Baby Vino on the outside in the shadow of the wire. The speedy Himothy, favored at 3-5 for trainer Ron Moquett, finished ninth after stumbling at the start.
The winning time for six furlongs over a fast track was 1:11.77.
“He made a long move yesterday,” Von Hemel said. “I’d thought he would get a little tired. I didn’t know if we could win yesterday, but I thought we would hit the board and come running and he’d run a good race. Moquett’s horse had a bad start and everything else kind of went our way.”
Von Hemel said Fifty Four Yarder will be pointed for a two-turn race. The timing is tricky, Von Hemel said, because Oaklawn’s 13-day Holiday season ends Jan. 4. The Classic season begins Jan. 30.
“Ideally, you would want to run in about four weeks and now it’s going to be probably six weeks, seven weeks before we get a run,” Von Hemel said. “It probably doesn’t mean anything, but it’s just the timing of this, where we got in. We didn’t get in at Churchill. We were on the (also-eligible list). I guess he’ll have plenty of time before he runs again. If there was a race Jan. 3, Jan. 4, that weekend, that would be a little quick back for him. I thought he ran really hard yesterday. Not a big, strong colt, so we’re going to give him plenty of time to recover from that.”
Fifty Four Yarder was the first career Oaklawn victory for Hernandez. Albaugh Family Stables won the 2024 Smarty Jones Stakes, Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby points race, with the Brad Cox-trained Catching Freedom.
Praying Targets Carousel
The 2026 goal for Praying is a Grade 1 victory, trainer Robbie Medina said.
The road to a Grade 1 race is scheduled to begin Feb. 28 in Oaklawn’s $150,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters, Medina said Saturday morning. The six-furlong Carousel, Medina said, would serve as a bridge to April’s Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
“I think the best way to get here there is the (Carousel),” Medina said. “My plan is to run her here.”
Medina said Praying is now with his Kentucky string after a 30-day freshening. The 3-year-old daughter of Vekoma completed her 2025 campaign with a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
After running second in the inaugural $145,000 Southern Hospitality Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs last March at Oaklawn, Praying won the Prioress Stakes (G3) in August at Saratoga and the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) in October at Keeneland.
“She really likes Keeneland,” Medina said. “She’s run really good there a couple of times and then she ran really good at Saratoga. So, the plan is to try and win one of those big races there. Hopefully, everything works out. The Breeders’ Cup is at Keeneland next year.”
Medina said he has 25 horses at The Thoroughbred Training Center in Kentucky and 15 at Oaklawn.
Finish Lines
Following Sunday’s card, racing resumes Friday at the Oaklawn. The 10-race card begins at 12:30 p.m. CDT. … Mischievous M ($67.40) represented jockey Tyler Bacon’s 200th career victory in Saturday’s 10th race, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Bacon, 18, was Oaklawn’s champion apprentice last season and finished with 49 victories to rank fourth overall. He captured his first career riding title earlier this year at Prairie Meadows. … Preakness-winning jockey Jaime Torres registered his first career Oaklawn victory in Saturday’s seventh race aboard favored Our Magical Moon ($5.60) for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Torres is riding regularly at Oaklawn for the first time in 2025-2026. … Scot’s Law (two of three overall) is scheduled to make her stakes debut in the $150,000 Year’s End for 2-year-old fillies at one mile Dec. 27, trainer John Ortiz said Saturday morning, moments after the daughter of Tiz the Law worked a swift half-mile in :47.80.
