4/29/26 Natural State Breeders'

By Robert Yates

$150,000 Natural State Breeders’ Stakes – Thursday, April 30

JRita Young Thoroughbreds’ Walk Away Kaye bids for her second stakes victory this season at Oaklawn in Thursday’s one-mile $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ for accredited Arkansas-bred fillies and mares, 3 and up.

Probable post time for the Natural State Breeders’ is 5:02 p.m. CDT. Racing begins at 12:45 p.m., with the Natural State Breeders’ the ninth of 10 races.

Walk Away Kaye, a 3-year-old daughter of New York-based stallion Honest Mischief, races for her breeders, Everett “JR” Young and wife Rita of Van Buren, Ark., and trainer Danny Pish.

After winning her Nov. 15 career debut at Remington Park, Walk Away Kaye has made her last four starts at Oaklawn. She ran second to Kentucky Oaks entrant Counting Stars in the inaugural $135,000 Astral Spa Overnight Stakes Dec. 14, fourth in the $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes Jan. 4, second in a state-bred allowance race Feb. 28 and won the $150,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes for accredited Arkansas-bred 3-year-old fillies April 3.

The Natural State Breeders’ will be Walk Away Kaye’s first start around two turns.

Rita Young said Walk Away Kaye was bred to Honest Mischief (the Youngs own a small piece of the horse) in order to have an accredited Arkansas-bred eligible for the New York Stallion Stakes Series, which is exclusively for New York-sired horses. Walk Away Kaye has run so well at Oaklawn that she keeps delaying a potential trip, Young said.

“We ran her the first time at Remington, just to kind of see what she had,” Young said. “Had no idea she would win that race going away. We brought her to Oaklawn and, of course, early in the season all you have is stakes. We tried her in open company in those stakes and she did well. We had an offer to sell her and the buyer wanted to take her to New York to compete in those races. But our goal was to win the Rainbow Miss. Our intention was to keep her here for that race and then we would consider going to New York to let her compete in the Stallion Stakes.”

Young said the Natural State Breeders’ could serve as Walk Away Kaye’s bridge to a Stallion Stakes Series race this summer in New York.

“We have an opportunity to try her in this race,” Young said. “It will be her first time going a mile, so we don’t know. But we think she has enough to do it.”

Jockey Erik Asmussen has the return call on Walk Away Kaye (4-1) from post 3. Nine other horses are entered, including program favorite Caliente Star (3-1) for trainer Ron Moquett, One Way Or Another (7-2) for trainer Casey Schleis and Lassie My Girl (12-1) for trainer Melton Wilson.

Lassie My Girl and Caliente Star finished first and third, respectively, in last year’s race. One Way Or Another beat Walk Away Kaye by 2 ¼ lengths Feb. 28.

Caliente Star won the 2025 Rainbow Miss for trainer Tammy Hornsby, who is represented by Principal Anita (20-1) Thursday.