After shadowing longshot early leader Scar Ship, Strategic Risk launched a sustained rally into the far turn that would see him seize the lead near the quarter pole, draw clear in early stretch, and cruise to a 4 1/2-length score in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3 at Oaklawn Park.
The winner and runner-up, Silent Tactic, are both owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse. The outcome marks a return to the Kentucky Derby (G1) path at Oaklawn for Casse, who last year saddled Sandman to victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1); while Oxley can begin to envision a return to the Kentucky Derby, which he captured in 2001 with Monarchos. Oxley's most recent Kentucky Derby starter, Enforceable, finished seventh in 2020.
With Saturday's win, homebred Strategic Risk claimed 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby while Silent Tactic pocketed 5 in the 1 1/16-mile stakes race for 3-year-olds.
Longshot Scar Ship led the field through a quarter-mile in :24.48 and half-mile in :49.72 with Strategic Risk tracking in second under Javier Castellano before launching his winning move. The top two were followed home by longshot Baytown Dreamer, who earned his first dirt race stakes placing. Universe, favored at 2-1 off a runner-up finish in the 2025 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, was last away and never factored.
The victory saw Strategic Risk earn his first stakes win against open company after closing his juvenile season with an eye-catching 9-length score over other Florida-breds in the FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes Nov. 29 at Gulfstream Park. With Saturday's win, the son of Noble Bird secured his second score in as many starts at two turns on dirt.
Castellano, who was aboard for the In Reality win, made the trip to Oaklawn. After the race he told track media that he was glad to see Strategic Risk handle the move to open company.
Stakes-placed Boca Beach Club was scratched.
- One race before the Smarty Jones, trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario teamed for the second of two stakes wins on the undercard as Bourbon Bash impressively returned from a layoff of more than 1 1/2 years to win the $135,000 Commodore Overnight Stakes.
In his 6-year-old debut, the multiple stakes-placed City of Light gelding rallied past horses in the far turn while in hand to take control of the sprint for older horses. Campaigned by BC Stables, Bourbon Bash registered a 2 1/4-length win, completing 6 furlongs in 1:09.72. Asmussen, who told Oaklawn Park media he was honored to take over training of the gelding from the late D. Wayne Lukas, said Bourbon Bash came back into training very impressively in the morning.
- Earlier on the card, a return to dirt proved to the liking of Obliteration, who lived up to his name in the $150,000 Renaissance Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters.
Despite a stumble at the start, grade 3 winner Obliteration took command in the turn and drew off to a 7 1/2-length victory in the Renaissance, completing 6 furlongs in 1:10.03 under Joel Rosario. Campaigned by Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe, and John Cilia, Obliteration won last year's Sanford Stakes (G3) by 10 1/2 lengths and finished second in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) for trainer Steve Asmussen.
The son of Violence also earned a pair of stakes placings on turf last year, closing out 2025 with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T).
