HOT SPRINGS -- Three months after last seen at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, Angel of Empire returned in triumph Saturday, winning the same race as his sire six years prior.
Angel of Empire, second in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn on Jan. 1, fooled some in the crowd on this April 1, although no one should profess shock when trainer Brad Cox saddles the winner.
Like champion Classic Empire in 2017, Angel of Empire is headed to the Kentucky Derby after winning the Grade I $1.25 million Arkansas Derby in its 87th running. He added 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the 50 collected for winning the Grade II Risen Star on Feb. 18 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
No doubt with stablemates in the starting gate, he faces the same task as sire Classic Empire when a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Derby. That is, beating a Todd Pletcher-trained favorite, Always Dreaming winning in 2017 and champion Forte giving the impression in Saturday's Grade I Florida Derby that he had something left for Churchill Downs on May 6.
On Saturday, Angel of Empire led off the final turn, sprinting clear while longshot King Russell placed second at 52-1 and Reincarnate third for the second time over the track. Albaugh Family Stable, the Des Moines, Iowa-based racing operation of Jason Loutsch and Dennis Albaugh, owns the Arkansas Derby winner, the same role enjoyed in 2017 by Tulsa oilman John Oxley with Mark Casse-trained Classic Empire. Saturday's victory was worth $739,375, the fourth-choice paying $11.40, $5.80 and $4.40.
"It's huge. Big day,' Cox said. "Very impressed with this horse, how he ran today. He came home quick, and he's a horse that the the longer the better. Looking forward to getting him to the Kentucky Derby in five weeks."
Although tracking a second Classic Empire colt in the race -- joining Interlock Empire --, the Kentucky-based co-breeder of the 2016 juvenile champion weighed in on the news. Brandi Nicholson (with husband Steven in the room) said she was "pumped up" about the 149th Kentucky Derby -- now more than ever after Classic Empire's first Grade I win as a sire.
For every winner, there are losers, and none felt the sting of Saturday's race more than Frank Fletcher, whose Rocket Can went off favored at almost 5-2. The North Little Rock business magnate won the Smarty Jones with since-sidelined Victory Formation, ironically trained by Cox. Bill Mott trains Rocket Can, a Grade II winner in Florida who represented Fletcher's third starter in the race he most covets.
Reincarnate earned 30 points for the show finish, and now must see whether 45 qualifies him for the Kentucky Derby. The program trainer in place of Bob Baffert, whose horses are barred from the Derby for a second year, Tim Yakteen earlier saw Reincarnate finish behind Confidence Game and Red Route One in the Rebel.
This race looked cleaner than that Feb. 25 Grade II race in the slop. Angel of Empire won with a four-wide move on the far turn similar to that of Cox-trained Fantasy Stakes winner Wet Paint earlier Saturday. His winning margin was 4 1/4 lengths, his fast-rated nine furlongs in 1:49.68 when "clearly best," according to the Equibase Co. footnote.
"The older he's getting the better he's getting, bottom line," Cox said. "I think he really took to six weeks between races. He ran well here to start the year. ... He's come around over the last three, four weeks."
King Russell has co-owners including former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones, who along with Naber Racing LLC last week paid the colt's Triple Crown nominating fee. Trained by Ron Moquett, he earned 40 points Saturday after last winning on the Rebel undercard.
Rocket Can earned 20 points for fourth place and Robertino Diodoro-trained Airline 10 for fifth. Red Route One, adding blinkers after seconds in the Southwest and Rebel, was sixth, followed by early leader Two Eagles River, Interlock Empire, Harlocap and Bourbon Bash. Kolomio, a stablemate of the Rebel winner, was scratched, leaving 10 starters.
Angel of Empire tries to follow Lil E. Tee (1992) as a Pennsylvania-bred Kentucky Derby winner. He made Cox the first trainer to repeat in Oaklawn's oldest and richest race since Pletcher with Danza in 2014 after Overanalyze won in 2013. Training young horses, Pletcher and Cox have opened daylight over many peers, the former in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and Cox, just turned 43, sure to follow when he becomes eligible.
Results
RACE 12 — Purse $1,250,000, 1 and 1/8 miles, Stakes, 3 yo
Horse Pgm# 1/2 3/4 Str Fin Odds
Angel of Empire (Prat, Flavien) 6 7-4 6-1/2 1-21/2 1-41/4 4.70
King Russell (Bejarano, Rafael) 9 8-hd 9-1/2 6-11/2 2-1/2 58.80
Reincarnate (Velazquez, John R.) 8 2-1 2-1 2-hd 3-hd 3.30
Rocket Can (Alvarado, Junior) 7 5-1 5-1 5-1/2 4-1/2 2.70
Airtime (Torres, Cristian A.) 5 4-hd 4-hd 4-hd 5-hd 18.50
Red Route One (Gaffalione, Tyler) 10 10 10 7-1 6-23/4 3.80
Two Eagles River (Juarez, Nik) 4 1-1/2 1-1 3-hd 7-21/2 8.70
Interlock Empire (Cabrera, David) 2 9-5 8-1/2 9-5 8-21/2 57.80
Harlocap (Santana, Jr., Ricardo) 3 3-1/2 3-hd 8-hd 9-51/2 23.50
Bourbon Bash (Gutierrez, Reylu) 1 6-11/2 7-hd 10 10 8.70
PGM# HORSE WIN PLACE SHOW
6 Angel of Empire................ $11.40 $5.80 $4.40
9 King Russell......................................$34.40 $12.20
8 Reincarnate.............................................................$3.60
Seeking Unity, ridden by Flavian Prat (5) races to the front in the ninth race Saturday during the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs. More photos at arkansasonline.com/42derby/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
Race fans crowd the infield for the Arkansas Derby. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
Cyndee Wood (bottom center) and her sister, Lexi (left), cheer on their horse with with their mother, Pam (top center), and brother, Kason, all of Atlanta, Texas, in the fifth race Saturday. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
Kelly Murray (left) of Benton and Jajuan Archer (right) of Little Rock, call the Hogs after Murray won the Arkansas Derby hat contest in her Razorbacks hat. Archer took third in the contest. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
Jockey Flavien Prat celebrates after Angel of Empire wins the Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs. More photos at arkansasonline.com/42derby/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
