5/5/26 Barn Notes
Compiled by Robert Yates
Jockey Ramon Vazquez led the Oaklawn rider standings after the first day of the 2025-2026 meeting and, most important, after the last.
Vazquez put an exclamation point on his first career Oaklawn riding title with four winners Saturday, the final day of Oaklawn’s 62-day meeting. Vazquez finished with 76 victories – seven more than runner-up Francisco Arrieta – and $4,284,296 in purse earnings, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.
“All of this is a team effort and it wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work (of) my agent, Cody Autrey who works tirelessly every day,” Vazquez posted Sunday on his X account. “You truly made this happen. “FINALLY, I’ve (won) the title of leading Jockey at Oaklawn.”
Hall of Famer Steve Asmssuen won 62 races for his record-extending 15th career Oaklawn training title. Asmussen also won his second consecutive owner’s title with 24 victories. Amir Mendoza, 34 victories, was the runaway leading apprentice jockey at the meet.
Vazquez, 42, has ridden regularly at Oaklawn since 2012. Vazquez had recorded a string of top five finishes in the standings – he was second in 2015, 2016 and 2017, third in 2019 and fifth last season – before his breakthrough in 2025-2026, sparked by four victories opening day, Dec. 12.
Vazquez set single-season Oaklawn personal bests in 2025-2026 for mounts (401), victories and purse earnings. Vazquez became the 11th rider in Oaklawn history to reach 500 career victories Feb. 20.
A native of Puerto Rico, Vazquez previously collected riding titles at Santa Anita, Los Alamitos, Prairie Meadows, Lone Star Park and Remington Park. Vazquez makes Oaklawn, Lone Star Park and Remington Park his year-round circuit. He has a home near Oaklawn.
Autrey also books mounts for two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres and represented Arrieta when he captured his second career Oaklawn riding title last season. Autrey began working for Vazquez at the 2025 Lone Star Park meeting.
Talk Derby to Me
Arkansas Derby winner Renegade finished second, beaten a neck, in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown.
In other stakes races last week at Churchill Downs involving Oaklawn-raced horses, favored Oaklawn stakes winner Parchment Party ($4.52) won Wednesday’s Isaac Murphy Marathon for older horses at 1 ½ miles; favored Lagynos ($4.54) won Thursday’s Opening Verse for older horses at one mile on the turf; Oaklawn stakes winner Bourbon Bash finished second in Thursday’s six-furlong St. Matthews Overnight for older horses; multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Skippylongstocking finished second in Friday’s 8 ½-furlong Alysheba (G2) for older horses; and multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Counting Stars finished third in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies.
Finish Lines
Heavily favored Bright Spark ($3) captured Saturday’s $160,000 Trail’s End starter-allowance marathon to give trainer Kevin Martin and co-owners Staton Flurry and David Flannigan their first victory in the race. The 1 ¾-mile Trail’s End is traditionally the final race of the Oaklawn meeting. It was a record-tying third Trail’s End victory for jockey Ramon Vazquez. Bright Spark’s margin of victory (11 ½ lengths) was the second-largest in Trail’s End history, eclipsed only by Piropo (13 lengths) in 1973. The Trail’s End, which drew 14 starters, was for older horses that had started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less in 2025-2026. It had a record purse this year, a base of $135,000 and $25,000 in participation bonuses. The Trail’s End was worth $125,000 last year. Bright Spark (three victories) was the co-winningest horse in 2025-2026 at Oaklawn. Flurry, a Hot Springs native, was Oaklawn’s leading owner in 2023-2024. … Fifty Cent Dollars ($30.20) won Saturday’s sixth race to give 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman his 298th career victory in Hot Springs. It was the 224th career Oaklawn victory for jockey David Cabrera and the 1,996th in his North American career, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Cabrera was Oaklawn’s co-leading rider in 2021-2022. … Hartman won a three-shake, or blind draw, to claim Payne out of a runner-up finish in Saturday’s sixth race for $12,500. Payne, 11, was the oldest winner this season at Oaklawn. The gelding has $968,328 in career earnings. … Oaklawn-raced Reagan’s Flame ($6.90) won the six-furlong Whimsical Stakes for older fillies and mares Saturday at Woodbine. … Oaklawn maiden winner G T Five Hundred ($6.70) won the 5 ½-furlong Thorncliffe Stakes for older horses Sunday at Woodbine. … Oaklawn stakes winner Bishops Bay finished second in the Westchester Stakes (G3) for older horses at one mile Saturday at Aqueduct.
