Already a two-time stakes winner with 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in his possession, Coal Battle doubled that total Saturday and made it three in a row with a strong win in Saturday's Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Clearly a horse that can take his track with him (he's now made six starts over six different surfaces and on slop, mud, grass and fast going), the son of MGSW Coal Front jumped up last time out to upset the Remington Springboard Mile Dec. 13 at odds of 6-1 and secure himself his first 10 points towards Churchill. Wheeled back here as the 9-2 third choice in his longest distance to date, Coal Battle broke sharply from the far outside gate and was clearly keen to go on with it outside of Mo Quality. That pair showed the way through moderate fractions with the opening half going in :49.03 as race favorite Kale's Angel joined the fray into the far turn. Shaken up at the quarter pole, Coal Battle responded in kind and came home nicely, padding his advantage to win going away as Mo Quality just edged Kale's Angel for the minor placings. Coal Battle now sits second on the Road the Kentucky Derby leaderboard behind only GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief).
One of five stakes winners for Coal Front, Coal Battle is the first foal out of a stakes-placed first dam who has since produced a now 2-year-old Goldencents colt named Golden Mane. While she lost her 2024 Mo Tom foal, Wolfblade is due back to Frosted for this year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
“It's the pride of Remington Park, it's Coal Battle in the Smarty Jones!” 🎙️
Coal Battle extends his win streak to three and picks up 10 Kentucky Derby points in the Smarty Jones! 🌹
Juan Vargas guided the 3YO son of Coal Front for trainer Lonnie Briley.
🎥 TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/1BUAKYMln5
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) January 4, 2025
SMARTY JONES S., $250,000, Oaklawn, 1-4, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:46.43, ft.
1–COAL BATTLE, 122, c, 3, by Coal Front
1st Dam: Wolfblade (SP, $143,465), by Midshipman
2nd Dam: Venice Queen, by Latent Heat
3rd Dam: Running Creek, by Cape Town
($70,000 Ylg '23 TTAYRL). O-Norman Stables LLC; B-Hume
Wornall & Jay Adcock (KY); T-Lonnie Briley; J-Juan P. Vargas.
$146,250. Lifetime Record: 6-4-0-0, $453,875.
2–Mo Quality, 117, c, 3, Mo Town–Revealing Quality,
by Quality Road. ($50,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $55,000 RNA 2yo '24
OBSOPN). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Walmac Farm; B-Titletown
Racing Stables (Paul Farr) (KY); T-Christopher Davis. $48,750.
3–Kale's Angel, 119, c, 3, Complexity–Love Affair, by Malibu
Moon. ($82,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR).
O-Tom Kagele and Ernest Marchosky; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY);
T-Peter Miller. $24,375.
Margins: 4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 4.50, 3.00, 1.30.
Also Ran: Bon Temps, Hot Property, Hot Gunner. Scratched: Curvino, Optical.
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