Kentucky Derby Road: Jan. 4 Smarty Jones Stakes, Jerome Stakes, San Vicente Stakes, Mucho Macho Man Stakes

Smarty Jones Stakes, 1 1/16 Mile at Oaklawn Park
The Springboard Mile winner Coal Battle won easily on a contested early pace under Juan Vargas. Mo Quality and Kale's Angel were second/third after contending early. Supplemented runner Bon Temps was fourth after being boxed in a bit through much of the running but failing to fire when freed up. A very slow 1:46.43 on a track rated fast. Morning line favorite Hot Property finished fifth of six. Coal Battle is now unbeaten in three dirt starts.

Winning trainer Lonnie Briley: “Today he went to the front and was pricking his ears. When he stayed up there, I’m thinking: ‘I’m going to steal it, jockey.’ He ran big, big. Every time we run him, he just seems to surprise us. He’s a neat little horse. I don’t know if it’s set in yet. No, it’s crazy for the little guy.”

Winning jockey Juan Vargas: “This time he kind of surprised me because I never expected he was going to the lead that easy. I can say this is the best race he’s run. He’s getting better and better. He surprised me the way he won."

Second-place trainer Chris Davis (Mo Quality): “I still think he’s just got a little bit of learning to do. The pace wasn’t kind of what we thought it would be. He didn’t break super sharp. In fact after the race, Junior (Alvarado) just said: ‘If he jumps, we probably wire them.’ He goes: ‘He didn’t get tired, just a little green still.’ So, (Mo Quality) going 6 1/2 to a mile and a sixteenth, Junior doesn’t think distance is an issue, nor do I. I think he just needs a little bit more seasoning...."

Jerome Stakes, One Mile at Aqueduct
Cyclone State made the front early and stayed there to win the one-mile Jerome by 3 1/2 with fractions of 23.43, 47.25, 1:13.20, 1:26.41 and 1:40.62 under Manny Franco at 3-1. Omaha Omaha was second after trailing 11 1/2 lengths in last halfway through. Ican, third, was keen early but shuffled back. Studlydoright fourth. Seven ran.

Chad Summers, winning trainer: "He just continues to get better. Obviously, a deep, tiring, heavy track today. The rail didn't look like it was that great. We wanted to get off the rail but kind of got stuck there. Our horse's first step is so quick. He's nominated to Saudi. The 'noms' come out on the 8th and I think this will get us an invitation."

Luis Rivera, Jr. winning jockey: "I break trying to go to the lead, then I saw the number one [Enduring Spirit] going for the same thing as me. I just put my horse like five paths outside the other horse, so my horse got relaxed a little bit, because I wasn't worried about the number one. So I let him stay there, then whenever I saw he wasn't there, I just moved to the rail and by the quarter pole I was asking him and he was there for me the whole way."

Michael Gorham, trainer of runner-up Omaha Omaha: "He's crying for more ground. This was pretty much our only option locally, so we gave it a go and he showed he belongs. Maybe we'll come back in a month for the Withers. He breaks OK. He just doesn't have natural speed. It takes him a quarter mile to get into his stride."

Raul Mena, jockey of Omaha Omaha: "This horse, it is a little difficult for him to try to be close to the pace. He takes his time all the time."

San Vicente Stakes, Seven Furlongs at Santa Anita
Not a Kentucky Derby points race but an important one nevertheless as highly-touted Barnes won for the Baffert stable at even money, making his record two-for-two after a debut win at Churchill Downs. Barnes dueled on the lead with McKinzie Street (12-1) through fractions of 22.65 and 45.10, then spurted away in the turn to win by 5 1/2 lengths. Romanesque (7-1), also trained by Baffert, got up for second by a half-length over Bullard (1-1). Smooth Cruisein and McKinzie Street filled out the finish. The winning time was 1:22.15.

Bob Baffert, winning trainer: “I knew he would run well. I was watching Juan, he knows the horse well, and he said he was a little green. But everyone who has worked him says he has another gear. They are all a little green. The second out is the most important for all these horses. Body-wise he has a lot of American Pharoah in him."

Winning jockey Juan Hernandez: “He’s really good. I love him. He was aggressive down the backside but he’s still learning how to run. I like him because around the quarter pole he got off the bridle and was kind of looking around a little bit. But when I corrected him, he came back to me. I was really surprised how he finished today.”

Mucho Macho Man Stakes, One Mile at Gulfstream Park
Kicking off the Florida Derby series, Guns Loaded got up late for the win at 6-5 under Luis Saez. Running off a six-furlong maiden win Nov. 16, the expensive yearling purchase led throughout on the rail through temperate fractions of 24.54 and 47.61 and held off late-charging Treaty of Rome. The winning time was 1:38.87 on fast dirt.

Winning trainer Jose D’Angelo: “Today he looked green again. He ran the first time out in Saratoga and he tried to go inside, and he did the same today. I asked Luis about the gallop out and he said when he saw the other horse he got another gear. So that’s good, but we have to train him now going forward.” The Holy Bull is the next goal, D'Angelo said.

Winning jockey Luis Saez: “The trip was perfect. We were concerned about [Macho Music]. He have a lot of speed, but he missed the break and we ended up on the lead and we took it. He was traveling pretty great. Pretty comfortable. When we came to the top of the stretch, I was trying to save as much horse as I could.”

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