Coal Battle, Cornucopian top Arkansas Derby; Simply Joking, Quietside among 10 in Fantasy

Mar 24, 2025 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Coal Battle wins the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

Blue collar hero Coal Battle and the dazzling maiden winner Cornucopian are the leading horses of interest ahead of the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.

A field of nine passed the entry box for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby (G1), which offers Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 to the respective top five finishers.

Coal Battle is already safely in the Kentucky Derby field, having won three consecutive Derby preps. The latest was 1 1/4-length decision in the Rebel (G2) on Feb. 23. Trainer by veteran journeyman Lonnie Briley, Coal Battle previously landed the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn and the Remington Springboard Mile.

Earlier on Rebel Day, Cornucopian turned in a sparkling debut win for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The $1.1 million son of Into Mischief won a six-furlong maiden by 5 3/4 lengths as the 7-10 favorite but now will be asked to reproduce that form over an additional three furlongs and against a field with far more experience than he possesses.

Speed King was second to Coal Battle by a half-length at Remington and then rebounded to capture the Southwest (G3) over Sandman. While Sandman rallied to place again in the Rebel, Speed King retreated badly in that prep after failing to show his customary early foot.

The remainder of the field appears to have form to find. Publisher was unplaced in both the Southwest and Rebel after troubled starts and will add blinkers for the Arkansas Derby. Monet's Magic was outclassed when fifth in the Southwest at big odds, while Bestfriend Rocket and First Division recently finished one-two in an allowance.

The outsider in the field is Brereton's Baytown, whose most recent win occurred in a $40,000 claimer at Laurel two starts back.

Ten three-year-old fillies will contest the $750,000 Fantasy (G2), which yielded last year's Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Thorpedo Anna.

Heading the field are the Whit Beckman-trained Simply Joking, who enters off back-to-back stakes wins in the Letellier Memorial and Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds to start her career, and Quietside, who snapped a string of bridesmaid finishes in stakes to capture the Honeybee (G3) last month.

Take Charge Milady, an imposing winner of the Jan. 25 Martha Washington S. for trainer Kenny McPeek, is a candidate to rebound after a sub-par showing in the Honeybee.

The Kentucky Oaks qualifying points on offer in the Fantasy are 100-50-25-15-10 to the respective top five finishers.

The scheduled post time for the Fantasy is 7:02 p.m. ET, with the Arkansas Derby following at 7:48. Both races can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.