Lake Ouachita & AR Breeders' Championship Recap 2026
Compiled by Robert Yates
Contact: Chris Ho, Vice President of Marketing, cho@oaklawn.com, 501-623-4411 ext. 4201
Saturday, May 2, 2025
Photo Credit: Coady Media
WILLY D'S - Lake Ouachita Stakes - 4th Running
Photo Credit: Coady Media
HESS - AR Breeders' Championship - 8th Running
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oaklawn Stakes Race Recaps
$200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes
It was another close finish.
Willy D’s, a forward factor from the start under Francisco Arrieta, battled back in deep stretch to win the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.
Willy D’s finished a neck ahead of Coal Battle, a millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner, in the 1 1/16-mile race for older horses. The 2025 running produced another nailbiter as millionaire Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown beat 2024 Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan by a nose.
Coal Battle, who making his first start since July, finished 7 ¾ lengths ahead of Mackman. Millionaire Grade 1 winner Subsanador, who stumbled at the start, finished fourth, followed by Seize the Night and American Promise. Digital Ops and First Division were scratched.
Willy D’s and America Promise dueled through a half-mile in :47.23. Willy D’s disposed of American Promise on the second turn but was quickly challenged by Coal Battle on the outside straightening for home. Coal Battle poked a head front inside the eighth pole, but Willy D’s, under left-handed urging, regained the lead in the final 100 yards.
Willy D’s, the 3-2 favorite, ran 1 1/16 miles in a meet-best 1:41.56. It was the 12th stakes victory this season at Oaklawn for Arrieta, a two-time local riding champion.
Willy D’s paid $5, $2.80 and $2.20. Coal Battle paid $3.20 and $2.40. Mackman paid $2.80.
Mike Maker trains Willy D’s for Paradise Farm Corp. (Peter Proscia) and Case Chambers. Maker claimed the now-5-year-old Lookin At Lucky gelding for $50,000 in March 2025 at Oaklawn. Willy D’s has won four races for Maker, including the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes last July at Horseshoe Indianapolis and the Kentucky Cup Classic (G3) March 21 at Turfway Park in his last start. Willy D’s also ran second in the $150,000 Tinsel Stakes Dec. 20 at Oaklawn.
Willy D’s lifted his lifetime earnings to $874,008 following his seventh victory from 27 starts. The gelding is named for a piano bar in downtown Little Rock.
Saturday’s closing-day crowd was estimated at 31,000. Total mutuel handle was $10,319,590.
Pending approval from the Arkansas Racing Commission, Oaklawn will run Nov. 27-May 1 in 2026-2027.
Lake Ouachita Quotes
Winning Jockey Francisco Arrieta (Willy D’s): “Today, he jumped properly and made a nice, easy pace. When I checked on him after the three-eighths pole, I was loaded. So, I was happy and thought he was going to be tough to beat. (Coal Battle) came to me in the last eighth of a mile and I shook my stick and pushed him (Willy D’s) and he fought back. When I switched my stick to the left hand, I kind of encouraged him and he reached forward.”
Second-Place Trainer Lonnie Briley (Coal Battle): “Ran a big race after 10 months off; hadn’t run since July 5. When he passed that horse (Willy D’s), I was thinking that other horse was done and he came back and got us. But to get beat a (neck), he ran a big race. I think he’s back. He’ll be all right.”
$200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship
Hess, a 21-1 shot, uncorked a late rally to score an upset victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship Stakes.
Under a ground-saving ride from Keith Asmussen, Hess finished a neck ahead of Rock Solo, with Honey’s to Blame another 1 ¼ lengths farther back in third. Zippy Mark, the 8-5 favorite, finished fourth. Triple Up, Cybertown, Willow Creek Road, defending champion One Ten Stadium, Ready Shoes, Two Dollar Eddie and Miracle Mack completed the order of finish.
The 1 1/16-mile Arkansas Breeders’ Championship is the most lucrative event for accredited state-breds.
Asmussen, who won last year’s Arkansas Breeders’ Championship, rode Hess for owner Keith Ploumen and trainer Ron Westermann.
Hess was 10th after a half-mile before launching his rally on the inside late on the second turn. Asmussen steered Hess, in traffic, to the outside turning for home and split horses inside the sixteenth pole to nail Rock Solo near the wire. The final time for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track was 1:43.51.
Hess paid $45.40, $18 and $8.40. Rock Solo paid $8 and $5.20. Honey’s to Blame paid $3.
Hess marked the first career Oaklawn stakes victory for Westermann, a regular in Hot Springs and Canterbury Park in Minnesota. Hess, a 6-year-old gelded son of Moonshine Mullin, won for the sixth time in 23 starts to raise his career earnings to $362,132. Hess was exiting a first-level state-bred allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles April 16. The Arkansas Breeders’ Championship was his stakes debut.
Arkansas Breeders’ Championship Quotes
Winning Jockey Keith Asmussen (Hess): “Huge kudos to Mr. (Ron) Westermann for giving me the opportunity. He can be a little strong in the mid part of the race. Stuck him right behind the 4 horse (Zippy Mark). I loved my trip. I got to cut both corners. He did relax a bit down the backside. When he saw daylight, he took off. Couldn’t be more excited for Team Westermann.”
Winning Trainer Ron Westermann (Hess): “I think the ride was the best part. Keith (Asmussen) did a really good job, putting him where he wanted to put him. Everything just worked really well. He (Asmussen) just always seems to get the best out of this horse and he loves him. So do we. We’re real happy.”
