California-shipper Avare, winner of the Eddie Logan Stakes for trainer Doug O'Neill, will attempt to add another stakes victory to his record when he heads to post as the likely favorite in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Monday at Oaklawn Park.
Lined up to face Avare in this deep race include Brown Almighty, winner of the Sunny's Halo Stakes and runner-up in two other stakes events; Always in a Tiz, runner-up to Jerome Stakes (gr. II) winner Vyjack in the Traskwood Stakes; Officer Alex, winner of the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes; King Henny, a two-time stakes winner coming off a win in the Big Drama Stakes on January 5th; Texas Bling and Will Take Charge, the 1-2 finishers in the $300,000 Springboard Mile Stakes last month; Best of Birdstone, winner of the Razorback Futurity; and Stormy Holiday, a two-time winner that was most recently fourth in the Bellamy Road Stakes. All told, six of the nine entrants have won stakes races, a very impressive statistic indeed!
The Smarty Jones Stakes is one-mile in distance and is the first of Oaklawn's official Kentucky Derby prep races. The Smarty Jones will award ten Kentucky Derby qualification points to the winner, as well as four points to the runner-up, two to the third-place finisher, and one to the fourth horse across the wire.
Post Positions
1 Stormy Holiday
2 Always in a Tiz
3 Avare
4 Texas Bling
5 Best of Birdstone
6 Officer Alex
7 King Henny
8 Brown Almighty
9 Will Take Charge
-Keelerman
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