Coal Battle wins 2nd straight prep for Kentucky Derby 2025

Different tactics, same result.

Coal Battle added to his Kentucky Derby 2025 war chest with a front-running romp in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.

Ridden by Juan Vargas and trained by Lonnie Briley for owner Norman Stables, Coal Battle finished four lengths ahead of Mo Quality with 6-5 favorite Kale’s Angel another neck farther back in third.

Click here for Oaklawn entries and results. 

The 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones marked the third career stakes victory for Coal Battle and second in a Kentucky Derby 2025 qualifying race. The son of Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front collected 10 points for his Smarty Jones victory. Coal Battle also earned 10 points for a half-length victory in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes on Dec. 13 at Remington Park.

Unlike the Springboard Mile, where he came from off the pace to edge Speed King, Coal Battle led at every point of call in the Smarty Jones. Boosted by pedestrian fractions of 24.11, 49.03 and 1:15.64, Coal Battle had plenty left in the tank in the stretch after being shadowed for much of the race along the inside by Kale’s Angel.

Carrying top weight of 122 pounds, Coal Battle’s winning time over the fast dirt track was 1:46.43.

“This time he kind of surprised me, because I never expected he was going to the lead that easy,” Vargas said. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do in the moment. Sometimes plans change, and this time, that’s what happened. I can say this is the best race he’s run. He’s getting better and better. He surprised me the way he won. I never expected him to take the lead that easy, and then my plan changed, because we were trying to run like last time.”

“Today he went to the front and was pricking his ears,” Briley said. “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 (having a Kentucky Derby candidate). No, it’s crazy for the little guy.”

Kale’s Angel finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Bon Temps, a maiden for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Hot Property and Hot Gunner finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Curvino and Optical were late scratches, reducing the starting field to six.

Coal Battle paid $11.00, $4.20 and $2.60; Mo Quality $4.00 and $2.60; and Kale’s Angel $2.20.

Coal Battle won for the fourth time in six starts to raise his career earnings to $453,875. In addition to the Smarty Jones and Springboard Mile, Coal Battle won the $100,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs Nov. 8 at Delta Downs

The Smarty Jones was Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races, a series that continues with the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 25.