Photo:

Justin Manning / Eclipse Sportswire

Counter to his usual closing style, Coal Battle contested
the slow early pace up the backstretch before drawing away from five rival
3-year-olds on his way to a four-length win Saturday in the $250,000
Smarty Jones Stakes, a two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race at 47-degree Oaklawn.

It was the third straight win, all in stakes, for Coal
Battle (9-2). It also was his second straight victory in a Kentucky Derby 2025
points prep. The Coal Front colt owned by Norman Stables and trained by Lonnie
Briley also scored last month in the Remington Springboard Mile.

Click here for Oaklawn entries and results.

Mo Quality (3-1) and Coal Battle dueled at the front of the
pack through a first quarter-mile in 24.11 and a first half-mile in 49.03
seconds. Jockey Juan asked Coal Battle for more in the second turn, taking the
lead through three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.64.

Post-time favorite Kale’s Angel (6-5) moved forward to
challenge in the homestretch, but under Vargas’s urging, Coal Battle drew away
inside the last furlong. After a mile in 1:40.30, the winning time was 1:46.43
on the fast dirt track.

Mo Quality came back to place second, Kale’s Angel was third,
Bon Temps (28-1) finished fourth, and Hot Property (9-2) wound up fifth. The
race was worth 10-5-3-2-1 Derby qualifying points for the top five finishers,
meaning Coal Battle has earned 20 points from his two prep victories.

Curvino and Optical, who were 12-1 long shots on the morning
line, were scratched.

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