Rodolphe Brisset said he doesn’t expect to have a starter in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds on Jan. Oaklawn Park. But the coach has eight nominees, a number that reflects the kind of stock he brought to Oaklawn for the first time as a regular.
Brisset’s 16-horse stables are full of well-bred young talents.
Brisset, who started her first horse in 2017 after supporting Hall of Fame coach Bill Mott: “We’re primarily here to develop horses for Derby and the Oaks. “We have a lot of 2-year-olds. Some of them haven’t ranked yet, some of them are already racing. But the goal is to see if we have anything that could qualify. That’s the right place. Those are the right races. the timing is good. Now it all depends on how we do our job and how these horses develop.”
Brisset is no stranger to Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby (G1) prep series. He finished second in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) in 2018 against Quip, who returned to Hot Springs a year later to claim the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) prize for the older horse. Quip has made those two starts for powerhouse owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and SF Racing. Brisset says WinStar and the all-star consortium of SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, aka “The Avengers,” are his two biggest customers.
Camp David breaks his maidenhood at Keeneland
Camp David and Great escape is one of the 2-year-old ponies that Brisset has for WinStar. Camp David, by Pioneers of the Nile , broke her maiden streak in her final start, a 1/16-mile off-field event that took place on October 16 at Keeneland. Great Escape, from the first case won the millionaire level 1 Midnight storm , breaking his maiden on September 18 at Churchill Downs and finished ninth in the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) October 9 at Keeneland in his final warm-up.
“We brought him back a bit quickly in Futurity,” said Brisset. “He had a rough ride. We gave him a break.”
Camp David and Great Escape Nominated for Smarty Jones, Along with Unlicensed Stable Friends Breslaus (via Violence ), Humero d’Oro (Distorted humor ), and We who (Organization ) and light racing girls Kuchar (Uncle Mo ), Western River (Tapit ), and Winterwood (Music by Maclean ).
The mile-long Smarty Jones was the first of Oaklawn’s four Kentucky Derby scoring races.
“I don’t think we’re going to prepare anything for that,” Brisset said. “Some of them, they’re playing catch-up a little bit, so we all know it’s really easy to be a maiden or not. But it’s all done. We’ll let the horses go. get us there if they can.”
Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby Scores Series Continues with $750,000 in Southwest Shares (G3) on January 29, $1 million in Rebel Stakes (G2) on February 26 and $1.25 million in Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 2.
Brisset could have a main player for Oaklawn’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) prep series in Yugiri , a 2-year-old daughter of the 2011 Preakness (G1) winner Shackleford runner-up, beating a length, in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) on November 27 at Churchill Downs in her final warm-up.
Oaklawn’s Kentucky Oaks Point Series begins with $200,000 in Martha Washington Shares on January 29 and continues with $300,000 in Honeybee (G3) Shares on February 26 and $600,000 in Fantasy (G3) Shares ) on April 2.
Brisset said of Yuugiri: “She already has points for the Oaks. “She’s currently resting, but she’ll be back on the track in a few weeks and back at that job. Maybe back to Honeybee. Maybe back on stipend. We’ll see. We’re mainly here to develop horses, with a focus on Derby and the bulls.”
Brisset’s first game in Oaklawn 2021-22, Beau Luminarie , came third on the $200,000 Tinsel Stock program that opens Saturday for kids ages 3 and up at 1/8 mile. Brisset also has a horse division in Kentucky after splitting his stables last winter between Florida and Kentucky.
