Rebel winner Coal Battle works; Lukas points Caldera to LaDerby

Kentucky-connected Oaklawn Park barn notes by Robert Yates (Coady Media photo of Coal Battle winning Oaklawn’s G2 Rebel Stakes)

Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle returned to the work tab Friday morning, covering 5 furlongs in 1:02 over a fast track for trainer Lonnie Briley. The $70,000 Kentucky-bred Texas Thoroughbred Association yearling purchase promises to be one of the favorite stories leading into the Kentucky Derby, with his modest pedigree and being Briley’s first graded-stakes winner in a career dating to 1991. The trainer races mostly in Louisiana and Arkansas.

It was the second published workout for Coal Battle since his victory in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 23 at Oaklawn, which secured his spot in the Kentucky Derby. The Rebel came on the heels of a victory in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4 at Oaklawn. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.

Coal Battle raced twice in Kentucky last fall, finishing fourth in the $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on turf and seventh in a Keeneland grass allowance won by Jeff Ruby leading contender Poster.

Briley reiterated following Friday’s workout that no decision has been made regarding Coal Battle’s next start. 

Briley said Coal Battle is under consideration for the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 29 at Oaklawn and the $1.25 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) April 5 at Keeneland. Both races are 1 1/8 miles. A third option, Briley said, is Coal Battle training up to the Kentucky Derby. Briley has never had a Kentucky Derby starter. 

“Just counting days to see what happens,” said Briley, who trains Coal Battle for owner Robert Norman. “It will be a last-minute thing, I believe.”

Coal Battle worked immediately after the surface renovation break under exercise rider Bethany Taylor, who regularly gallops and breezes the Coal Front colt. Oaklawn lead clocker Jim Hamilton caught Coal Battle covering his opening 3 furlongs in :35.80.

“Lonnie has said it a couple of times – he’s just not much of a work horse,” Taylor said moments after the breeze. “But he did everything he normally always does. He went right at 1:02. When I turned him around, he came home bucking and playing. He’s too smart to go any faster than that in the morning. It’s like he knows he’s not going to get his picture taken and he’s not making any money, so he’s like: ‘I’ll do just enough.’ ”

Coal Battle also worked a half-mile in :49.40 March 5 at Oaklawn. He is unbeaten in five career starts on dirt. His only two losses came in grass races last fall at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland. 

Coal Battle tops the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 70 points. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters.

Caldera to Louisiana Derby

Oaklawn-based Caldera posted a 5-furlong bullet workout Friday morning, his final major move for the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at 1 3/16 miles March 22 at Fair Grounds.

The Sunland Derby runner-up breezed over a fast track immediately following the surface renovation break for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Caldera, under Nik Juarez, went in :59.60 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14.40, according to Oaklawn lead clocker Jim Hamilton. Caldera worked with stablemate Ripped, a six-race maiden who was also credited with 5 furlongs in :59.60.

“I wanted to make sure I got a good one,” Lukas said following the work. “It was really a surprise how well Ripped worked, but he (Caldera) is set now. That’ll do it. We’ll ship him down to New Orleans.”

Lukas trains Caldera, a gray son of Grade 1 winner Liam’s Map, for MyRacehorse. Tyler Gaffalione will ride Caldera in the Louisiana Derby, Lukas said.

Caldera debuted with a sixth-place finish sprinting Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs. The winner, Speed King, returned to capture the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 25 at Oaklawn.

After Caldera crushed maiden special weights competition Jan. 17 at Oaklawn, he finished second in his next start, beaten a nose by Getaway Car, in the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 16 at Sunland Park. 

Caldera collected 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the Sunland Park Derby. The Louisiana Derby will offer 200 total points to its top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby, with 100 awarded to the winner.

Lukas chose the Louisiana Derby over the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 29 at Oaklawn. The Arkansas Derby is also a 200-point race.

“The timing was definitely (a factor),” Lukas said. “I thought if I could run one or two there, I’d get that (Kentucky Derby qualifying) out of the way and I could train him to the Derby, which is what I would like to do. I’d really like to just train him straight into the Derby after the Louisiana Derby.”

Lukas said the additional week would allow him to run Caldera in another Kentucky Derby qualifying race, possibly the $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) April 5 or the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) April 12, if he doesn’t secure the necessary points in the Louisiana Derby. Both races are at Keeneland. 

“I’d like to get enough points where I can say: ‘OK, he’s in and now we’ll worry about the others,’ ” Lukas said. 

Caldera is among a handful of Kentucky Derby hopefuls for Lukas. American Promise is entered in the $500,000 Virginia Derby Saturday at Colonial Downs and Innovator is headed to the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) March 22 at Turfway Park. Both races are 1 1/8 miles. American Promise and Innovator were both maiden special weights winners Dec. 29 at Oaklawn. 

Lukas said he doesn’t have an Arkansas Derby candidate at the moment.

“I’ve skirted around it because I think it’s clearly going to be the toughest one,” Lukas said. “I think when they run this race that horse (winner), whoever it is, will be the favorite for it all. You can’t put up a million and a half and not have them show up. I’m not beyond wheeling one of them back right away in the Arkansas Derby, either. I’ve done it before.”

Lukas is a four-time Kentucky Derby winner (1988, 1995, 1996 and 1999). 

Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn March 23 for the Arkansas Derby.

Finish Lines

Joseph Bealmear, Oaklawn’s leading apprentice jockey last season, underwent surgery Thursday at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs to repair a broken collarbone, his agent, “Big Steve” Krajcir, said Friday morning. Bealmear was injured in a spill in last Sunday’s sixth race at Oaklawn. “Everything seemed to go really well,” Krajcir said, referring to the surgery. Krajcir said there’s no timetable for Bealmear’s return. Bealmear rode 19 winners at the 2023-2024 Oaklawn meeting and has five victories this season. He also has five career victories at Churchill Downs and two at Ellis Park. … Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna returned last Monday to Fair Grounds, according to Ray Bryner, who oversees trainer Kenny McPeek’s Oaklawn division. Thorpedo Anna, in her 4-year-old debut, won the $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) last Saturday at Oaklawn. Bryner said Thorpedo Anna, the 2024 Kentucky Oaks winner, is scheduled to return to Oaklawn “about March 30” to continue preparations for the $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 12. The Azeri was Oaklawn’s final major prep for the Apple Blossom, among the country’s biggest two-turn events for older fillies and mares. … Banishing is pointing for the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for older horses March 29, co-owner/trainer David Jacobson said Friday morning. Banishing is a two-time winner this season at Oaklawn and finished second, beaten a head, in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23 in his last start. Banishing was a sharp allowance winner at 7 furlongs Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs for Jacobson.