Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones Draws Nine In Search Of Derby Points

Nucky wins the Del Mar Futurity under Norberto Arroyo Jr. for trainer Peter Miller

Nine horses, including four from Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, were entered Friday in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 24, a 1-mile race that is Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby points races.

The Smarty Jones will go as the eighth race on the nine-race opening-day program, with probable post time 3:52 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:35 p.m.

The projected Smarty Jones field from the rail out: Lykan, Terry Thompson to ride, 115 pounds; Silver Prospector, Ricardo Santana Jr., 119; Shared Sense, Florent Geroux, 115; Nucky, Joe Talamo, 119; Jungle Runner, Ramon Vazquez, 119; Gold Street, Martin Garcia, 119; Shoplifted, Tyler Gaffalione, 119; Lynn’s Map, Miguel Mena, 117; and Three Technique, Irad Ortiz Jr., 119.

Silver Prospector, Jungle Runner, Gold Street and Shoplifted are trained by Asmussen, a 10-time Oaklawn training champion who is seeking his first Smarty Jones victory.

Shoplifted competed against many of the country’s top 2-year-olds, finishing seventh in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita before winning the $400,000 Springboard Mile Dec. 15 in his last start.

Silver Prospector won the $300,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs in his last start.

Nucky scored his biggest career victory to date in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) Sept. 2 at Del Mar. Three Technique, owned by two-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Parcells, will be making his stakes debut after closing his 2-year-old campaign with two dominant victories in New York.

The Smarty Jones will offer 17 points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), Feb. 17, $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 14 and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 11.