5/28/26 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
Stephen Foster Preview Day Saturday at Churchill Downs features seven stakes races and seven Oaklawn stakes winners.
More than half the Oaklawn stakes winners (Mad House, Roll On Big Joe, Tejano Twist and Gold Sweep) are entered in the $275,000 G3-Aristides for older horses at six furlongs. The Aristides is the eighth of 11 races, with probable post time 3:25 p.m. CDT.
Mad House and Roll On Big Joe finished first and second, respectively, in the six-furlong $500,000 G3-Count Fleet Handicap April 11. The Count Fleet is Oaklawn’s biggest sprint race for older horses. Roll On Big Joe, the 9-5 program favorite, won the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes and $150,000 King Cotton Stakes earlier in the 2025-2026 Oaklawn meeting.
Tejano Twist is a four-time Oaklawn stakes winner, including the $250,000 G3-Whitmore March 14. Gold Sweep exits a 3 ¼-length victory in the $200,000 Lake Hamilton Stakes May 1 at Oaklawn.
An Oaklawn-raced horse is guaranteed to win the Aristides. The seven-horse field is completed by Cornucopian, Durante and Madaket Road.
Cornucopian ran the fastest six furlongs in Oaklawn history for a 3-year-old maiden (1:09.02) in a front-running 5 ¾-length debut romp Feb. 23, 2025, for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Madaket Road, also trained by Baffert, ran second behind Coal Battle later on the card in the $1.25 million G2-Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.
Durante won the 2025 Aristides and finished sixth behind Roll On Big Joe in the Ring the Bell.
Coal Battle, a millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner, is entered in the $275,000 G3-Arlington (Race 11, 4:59 p.m.) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Coal Battle, who made two turf starts as a 2-year-old, exits a runner-up finish, beaten a neck, in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles May 2 at Oaklawn. Coal Battle hadn’t started since July.
Millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Majestic Oops is entered in the $300,000 G2-Shawnee (Race 6, 2:19 p.m.) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Majestic Oops will be making her first start for trainer Phil D’Amato after previously being with Dan Ward, now a Baffert assistant.
The seventh Oaklawn stakes winner entered on Stephen Foster Preview Day is Rattle N Roll in the $300,000 G3-Blame (Race 10, 4:28 p.m.) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles. Rattle N Roll won the $150,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 20 at Oaklawn.
Oaklawn-raced Lagynos is the 5-2 program favorite for the Arlington. Oaklawn allowance winner Hit Show (5-2 second choice in the program) and Oaklawn-raced Liberal Arts and Original Sin are also entered in the Blame.
Finish Lines
Oaklawn-raced Baytown Dreamer is entered in the $400,000 G3-Penn Mile for 3-year-olds on the grass Friday at Penn National and the $275,000 Audubon Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the grass Saturday at Churchill Downs. … Blowout Oaklawn maiden special weight graduate Munnings Challenge is the 2-1 program favorite for Friday’s eighth race at Churchill Downs, a six-furlong allowance race for 3-year-olds.an entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds. Munnings Challenge exits a five-length maiden victory April 11 at Oaklawn for trainer Brad Cox and breeder/owner Joseph Novogratz. Munnings Challenge is out of multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Amy’s Challenge, who was campaigned by Novogratz. Also entered are Oaklawn maiden special weight graduates Doublecents (9-2) and American Man (6-1). Doublecents, runner-up to Munnings Challenge April 11, broke his maiden by 11 ½ front-running lengths May 2. … Multiple Oaklawn stakes winners Haulin Ice and G W’s Girl are entered in the six-furlong $100,000 Rehoboth Stakes for fillies and mares Saturday at Delaware Park. … Oaklawn stakes winner Lemon Muffin and Oaklawn-raced Om N Joy and Simply Joking are entered in the nine-furlong $200,000 G2-Santa Margarita Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita. … Millionaire Oaklawn allowance winner Stronghold is entered in the $100,000 G3-Triple Bend Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs Sunday at Santa Anita. … Oaklawn allowance winner Jokestar is the 2-1 program favorite for the $175,000 G2-Eclipse Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles over an all-weather surface Saturday at Woodbine. Oaklawn-raced Maycocks Bay is also entered. … Oaklawn-raced Wildatlanticstorm, Can Do Andrew and Call Me Q are entered in the six-furlong $75,000 John Wayne Stakes for Iowa-bred colts and geldings Saturday at Prairie Meadows. … Jockey David Cabrera enters Friday 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 based at Lone Star Park. … Trainer Shelbi Kurtz recorded her first career victory in Monday’s first race at Churchill Downs with Join ($9.32). It was her second career starter. Kurtz previously worked at Oaklawn as an assistant/exercise rider for trainers Jason Barkley and Joe Sharp. Barkley, now a jockey agent, is Kurtz’s ex-husband.
