Photo:

Justin Manning / Eclipse Sportswire

Trainer Lonnie Briley has split his stable between Arkansas and Louisiana for the second consecutive winter. The biggest difference, to date, between 2024 and 2025? Coal Battle.

Coal Battle is scheduled to chase more Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes next Saturday at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Rebel is Oaklawn’s third of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races, allotting 50-25-15-10-5 to the top five finishers toward Kentucky Derby starting eligibility.

Coal Battle represents the second career Oaklawn victory for Briley, who has seven horses stabled in Hot Springs and 20 at Delta Downs in Louisiana.

Briley capped his debut season at Oaklawn with a victory with True Princess in a conditioned claiming sprint on the final day of the 2023-24 meeting. The trainer’s next Oaklawn victory came with much more fanfare. Coal Battle, in his 3-year-old debut, was a front-running, four-length winner of the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 4.

“I had talked to Pat and a few years back he had asked me to come,” Briley said, referring to Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope. “But it’s tough here. I think it’s one of the toughest meets in the country. But I like it here. I like the people. I like the track. I like it all.”

Coal Battle collected 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Smarty Jones victory and has 20 overall to rank third on the official leaderboard released by Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters.

Coal Battle also received 10 points for concluding his 2-year-old campaign with a victory in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 13 at Remington Park.

Coal Battle emerged in good order from the Smarty Jones, Briley said, and has had five subsequent published workouts, three last month at Delta Downs and two in February upon his return to Oaklawn, the last a five-furlong move in 1:02.20 over a fast track Monday morning.

From the second crop of millionaire Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Front, Coal Battle had been based at Oaklawn before shipping to Delta Downs last month to escape harsh winter weather.

“After the (Smarty Jones), we go to the test barn, get back to the barn with him, and he’s bucking and kicking down the shed row,” Briley said. “Next day, it was like he didn’t even run.”

Coal Battle received a preliminary 84 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form for winning the Smarty Jones, which was Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby qualifying race. It marked his third consecutive stakes victory, all around two turns, and fourth in four dirt starts. Coal Battle also won the Jean Lafitte Stakes Nov. 8 at Delta Downs. Although the race was 6 1/2 furlongs, it was around two turns because Delta Downs is six furlongs in circumference.

The Smarty Jones was Coal Battle’s fourth victory from six starts and pushed his career earnings to $453,875. A $70,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association yearling sale purchase, Coal Battle races for Robert Norman, an Alabama grocery store executive. Briley said he has trained about 10 years for Norman.

Although the Norman-owned True Princess was winning for a $30,000 tag last May at Oaklawn, Briley reiterated that Norman has no plans to sell Coal Battle.

“How often do you get a colt that you can play with like this and have fun?” Briley said.

Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Sunday for the Rebel and five other stakes races Feb. 22, including the Honeybee (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles and the Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. The Honeybee is Oaklawn’s second of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races.

Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby qualifying series culminates with the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 29.