Oaklawn: Saudi Crown noses out Mystik Dan in Lake Ouachita

The photo went against Mystik Dan this time.

Almost exactly a year after winning the Kentucky Derby by a nose, Mystik Dan was beaten by the same margin in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.

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It was multimillionaire Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown, the 1-2 favorite, who edged Mystik Dan in a match race that highlighted the final day of Oaklawn’s 2024-25 live season.

Mystik Dan, in his first start since late January, finished eight lengths ahead of third-place finisher Dimatic, who was followed in order by Emmanuel, Magic Tap and Seize the Night. Awesome Aaron and Frankie’s Empire were scratched, reducing the starting field to six.

As expected, Saudi Crown went straight to the front under Abel Cedillo and set comfortable fractions of 23.72 and 47.28 seconds through the first half-mile. Mystik Dan, the 8-5 second choice, tracked Saudi Crown on the outside from the start.

The tempo quickened late as Mystik Dan began turning up the pressure approaching the quarter pole. Saudi Crown led by 1 1/2 lengths through six furlongs in 1:11.43, but the advantage was only a head in mid-stretch and razor thin at the finish. Saudi Crown passed the mile at 1:36.05, and his winning time over a fast track was a 1:42.25. The top two finishers each carried 119 pounds.

Saudi Crown was making his first start since finishing second, beaten by a length, in the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) on March 29. Brad Cox trains Saudi Crown, a 5-year-old gray son of Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, for Faisal Alqahtani’s FMQ Stables. Saudi Crown collected $117,000 for the victory, his seventh in 15 lifetime starts and has earned $3,427,385. He recorded his biggest career victory to date in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) in 2023 at Parx.

The Lake Ouachita was the fifth consecutive loss for Mystik Dan, who hasn’t won since the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Mystik Dan hadn’t started since finishing ninth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. That was his first race against older horses.

Mystik Dan raced three times last season at Oaklawn, finishing fifth in the Smarty Jones Stakes, winning the Southwest Stakes (G3) and running third in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1).