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All Rise: Army Mule’s Federal Judge Drops the Gavel on Debut

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and Wet Paint (Blame) weren't the only 3-year-olds to impress on Oaklawn Park's loaded GI Arkansas Derby program.

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Federal Judge (c, 3, Army Mule–Congarette, by Congaree) announced his presence with authority on the undercard, kicking off his career for trainer Rodolphe Brisset with a razor sharp, front-running performance, good for a flashy 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

He broke sharply from post five beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr. and quickly cleared his six rivals, including a trio of older horses, at debut odds of 7-1. Taking some pressure from his outside through an opening quarter in :22.10, the bay was headed by a rival on the far turn. Federal Judge was still going strong, however, and blasted off once Santana got busy in the stretch to win going away by 4 1/2 promising lengths. The final time for six furlongs over the fast going was 1:09.87.

“Very excited with his performance and can't wait to see him run against winners and see where we go from there,” WinStar Farm President/CEO & Racing Manager Elliott Walden said.

“Rudy had told me that he worked very well with Royal Spa (Violence), who ran [ninth behind Wet Paint] in the [GIII] Fantasy, and he was encouraged by that. But I think Rudy's the kind of guy who doesn't overtrain them for their first start, so you kind of see where they really are. I was very pleased to see him run like he did because I think a lot of that's on natural ability.”

Hailing from the first crop of unbeaten GI Carter H. winner Army Mule, Federal Judge is the second foal and first to the races for two-time winner Congarette. From the same female family as GI Super Derby winner Home At Last (Quadratic) and graded winners Niner's Home (Forty Niner) and Indy Groove (A.P. Indy), Federal Judge, bred in Florida by Caperlane Farm, brought $40,000 as an OBSWIN yearling and $200,000 as a FTKJUL yearling. Army Mule, already responsible for seven black-type winners, commands a $12,500 stud fee at Hill 'n' Dale Farm.

“His dad was very talented,” Walden said. “[WinStar General Manager] David Hanley and I loved [Federal Judge] at the sale at Fasig-Tipton July. He was the one horse that we wanted to come away with. He had a setback at two and we had to take a little chip out of the top joint of his knee.”

Walden concluded, “He ran a big number–we're really excited about what lies ahead. We're moving him back to Kentucky to Rudy's stable this week, then we'll try to pick out something that makes sense either late at Keeneland or at Churchill or Belmont.”

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Kentucky Oaks Top 10: Wet Paint Steps Up

Throughout prep season for the GI Kentucky Oaks no filly seemed capable of putting in the type of performance that stamped them as the clear leader of the division. It has been a rather uninspiring three months. As for the Oaks itself, it kept looking like the race would be a crap shoot that just about anybody could win. But, thankfully, that changed last week. The win by Wet Paint (Blame) in the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn was decisive and stamped her as the clear leader of the division. That could change this week, which will offer the last round of Oaks preps. But, at the very least, Wet Paint is a classy and consistent filly and will go into the Oaks riding a wave of momentum. She is a deserving No. 1.

We have a busy few days coming up. The GI Ashland S., the only Grade I race among the Kentucky Oaks preps, tops Friday's card at Keeneland. On Saturday, the GIII Gazelle S. will be run at Aqueduct and later that same day Santa Anita will serve up the GII Santa Anita Oaks. The Bob Baffert-trained Faiza (Girvin) will be favored at Santa Anita, but she was not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks.

1) WET PAINT (f, Blame–Sky Painter, by Street Cry {Ire})
O/B-Godolphin (Ky). T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 6-4-1-0, $689,000. Last Start: Won GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn Apr. 1. Kentucky Oaks Points: 170.
When Wet Paint finished second in an allowance race at Turfway Park on Dec. 14, her connections had little reason to believe that she might be the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks. She earned a 69 Beyer figure that day and her only win had come in a maiden race at Horseshoe Indianapolis. But she's been nothing short of fabulous since. She went on to sweep Oaklawn's preps for the Oaks, winning the Martha Washington, the GIII Honeybee S. and the Fantasy. She's flourishing at the right time and, if anything, is improving. In the Fantasy, she was last early, rushed past the leaders on the far turn and won with what appeared to be plenty left. She's owned by Godolphin, trained by Brad Cox and her pedigree says she'll run all day. What's not to like?
Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 5

2) WONDER WHEEL (f, Into Mischief–Wonder Gal, by Tiz Wonderful) O-D. J. Stable. B-Three Chimneys Farm & Clearsky Farm (Ky). T-Mark Casse. Sales history: $275,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly & MGISW, 6-4-2-0, $1,570,725. Last Start: 2nd Suncoast S. Feb. 11. Kentucky Oaks Points: 48.
It seems like forever since she last raced, which happened on Feb. 11 when she was second as the 1-2 favorite in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. That has given Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse nearly two months to fine tune last year's 2-year-old filly champion and have her ready for her best effort. That wasn't the case in the Suncoast when she had the length of the stretch to get past longshot Dreaming of Snow (Jess's Dream) but could not do so. So what to expect in the Ashland? That's the big question surrounding her. If she delivers and shows the form she displayed last year she could still be the favorite in the Oaks. Anything less will mean she will really have her work cut out for her on May 5.
Next Start: GI Ashland S., Kee, Apr. 7

3) BOTANICAL (f, Medaglia d'Oro–Daisy, by Blame)
O-LNJ Foxwoods & Clearsky Farms. B-Clearsky Farms & Godolphin (Ky). T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $220,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 6-4-1-0, $374,410. Last Start: Won the Bourbonette S. at Turfway Mar. 25. Kentucky Oaks Points: 70.

Botanical | Coady

An interesting horse who has won four straight, including a pair of dominant performances in stakes at Turfway on the synthetic track. The problem is that she's never run on dirt. Trainer Brad Cox understands that's an unknown, but is hoping that her upcoming works on the dirt at Churchill Downs will answer those questions. “She worked pretty well on the dirt last summer leading up to her debut,” Cox said. “I'll know more in a couple weeks. I think we'll get a pretty good line on if she's going to transfer over to the dirt based off her works here at Churchill.” Type of filly who could be first, could be last in the Oaks. If she doesn't handle the dirt she could have a bright career on the grass. Chris Landeros is her rider.
Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 5

4) SOUTHLAWN (f, Pioneerof the Nile–Mo d'Amour, by Uncle Mo) O-Robert Masterson. B-WinStar Farm (Ky). T-Norm Casse. Sales history: $290,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-3-0-0, $318,369. Last Start: Won the Fair Grounds Oaks at Fair Grounds Mar. 25. Kentucky Oaks Points: 100.
Has come out of nowhere to be a Kentucky Oaks threat. After finishing off the board last year in a pair of grass races, one at Keeneland, one at Churchill Downs, she turned into the best 3-year-old filly at the Fair Grounds. She won an allowance race there in February by eight lengths and then cruised to a 3 1/4-length win in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. The wins came after Southlawn underwent a procedure to clear up a breathing issue. Is trained by Norm Casse, who might have to take on his father, Mark, in a battle of the Casse family in the Kentucky Oaks. “I've worked for dad for a long time, been around a lot of nice horses, we know what to do,” Casse said after the win in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 5

5) PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS (f, Into Mischief–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit) 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Godolphin (Ky). T-Brendan P. Walsh. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-4-1-1, $501,310. Last Start: 2nd GII Fair Grounds Oaks at Fair Grounds Mar. 25. Kentucky Oaks Points: 103.
Along with Wet Paint, should give Godolphin a potent pair in the Oaks. After winning the Untapable S. and the Rachel Alexandra S., she looked like she could be as good as anyone in the division. Took a step back when beaten by Southlawn in the Fair Grounds Oaks, but still ran well enough for her to be considered a threat in the Kentucky Oaks. That said, she may need to improve a bit. Has run three times at Churchill, winning a maiden race and an allowance before finishing third in the GII Golden Rod S.
Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 5

6) JULIA SHINING (f, Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Stonestreet Stables LLC. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-1, $204,075. Last Start: 3rd Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 11. Kentucky Oaks Points: 16.
It's not that she ran badly when third in the Suncoast, her only start this year. The Beyer of 81 was a career best and she was only beaten 1 ½ lengths. But she had no excuse and, like Wonder Wheel, couldn't get past Dreaming of Snow in the stretch. Now it all comes down to the Ashland, where she's the third choice in the morning line at 3-1. Does trainer Todd Pletcher have her ready for an improved effort, which is what it's going to take to win the Grade I stakes. There's a lot of upside with this filly, who is a full-sister to Eclipse Award winner Malathaat (Curlin), but she clearly needs to move forward off of her 3-year-old debut.
Next Start: GI Ashland S., Kee, Apr. 7

7) AND TELL ME NOLIES (f, Arrogate–Be Fair, by Exchange Rate) O-Peter Redekop B.C., Ltd. B-Lara Run, LLC (Ky). T-Peter Miller. Sales history: $70,000 yrl '21 KEEJAN; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-3-1-0, $392,800. Last Start: Second in GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita Mar. 5. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30.
After training at the San Luis Rey training center the Peter Miller-trained filly showed up on the work tab last Saturday at Santa Anita. She went five furlongs in 1:01.80. The winner last year of the GI Del Mar Debutante and the GII Chandelier S., she stubbed her toe when eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, finishing seven lengths behind Wonder Wheel. Dismissed at 7-1, she finished second behind Faiza in her 3-year-old debut in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Is not fast. The 78 she got in the Santa Ysabel is her best career Beyer number. Will try to give sire Arrogate his second straight Oaks winner. He is the sire of 2022 winner Secret Oath.
Next Start: GII Santa Anita Oaks, SA, Apr. 8

8) PUNCHBOWL (f, Uncle Mo-Devilish Lady, by Sweetsouthernsaint) O-Gary and Mary West. B-Gary and Mary West Stables Inc. (Ky). T-Brad H. Cox. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $150,528. Last Start: Won an allowance optional claimer at Oaklawn Mar. 5. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0.
An Ashland starter, she's obviously very talented as she was an impressive winner of a March 5 allowance race at Oaklawn Park in her second career start. That came just three weeks after she broke her maiden in her career debut on Feb. 11. Now, trainer Brad Cox is throwing her into the deep end in a Grade I race that features last year's champion 2-year-old filly. “Punchbowl is a very talented filly but we are throwing a lot at her,” Cox admitted. “We ran her back quick off of her breaking her maiden. Hopefully, she'll be a Grade I winner after Friday.” The Ashland is a huge test for her. If she were to win it that would make her one of the favorites in the Oaks, maybe even the favorite. But is she ready for such a tough challenge? Is the 2-1 second choice in the Ashland morning line.
Next Start: GI Ashland S., Kee, Apr. 7

9) AFFIRMATIVE LADY (f, Arrogate–Stiffed, by Stephen Got Even) O-AMO Racing USA. B-Alastar Thoroughbred Co., LLC (Ky). T-H. G. Motion. Sales history: $210,000 yrl '21 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-2-1-2, $270,568. Last Start: Won GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Apr. 1. Kentucky Oaks Points: 110.

Affirmative Lady | Ryan Thompson

Also by Arrogate, she's the lone horse to jump into the Top 10 this week, which she did off of her win in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. It was the first graded stakes win in the U.S. for AMO Racing, which has won a number of group races in Europe. She didn't break her maiden until her start prior to the Oaks, but did run second last year in the GII Demoiselle S., where she finished just a neck behind Julia Shining. It looks like she's headed in the right direction, but she didn't face all that much in the way of competition in the Gulfstream race.
Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 5

10) SHIDABHUTI (f, Practical Joke–A. P. Candy, by Candy Ride {Arg}) O-Peter Brant. B-Gabriel Duignan & Gerry Dilger (Ky).
T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $77,000 wnlg '20 KEENOV; $310,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-3-0-0, $189,600. Last Start: Won Busher S. at Aqueduct Mar. 4. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50.
She goes next in Saturday's Gazelle S. at Aqueduct, where the main competition is expected to include her stablemate Occult (Into Mischief). The good news is that she is undefeated in three career starts. The bad news is that she has raced at Monmouth and then made two starts during the winter run at Aqueduct. Even if she wins Saturday, the story won't change much. Everyone will be asking, who did she beat? Chad Brown does have a history of running some of his better horses in New York during the winter, which he did with his two GI Preakness winners, Early Voting (Gun Runner) and Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music).
Next Start: GIII Gazelle S., Aqu, Apr. 8

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Angel of Empire On To Kentucky After Big Saturday For Brad Cox

Brad Cox saddled a trio of winners Saturday at Oaklawn with Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) taking the day's biggest prize in the GI Arkansas Derby. He also won the GIII Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with heavily-favored Wet Paint (Blame) and the Hot Springs S. with Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky).

“It was a great day,” Cox said during training hours Sunday morning at Oaklawn. “It was good. Big performance from that colt yesterday, Angel of Empire. We'll load him on Tuesday and ship to Kentucky and see what we can come up with.”

Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, Angel of Empire powered to a 4 1/4-length victory over longshot King Russell (Creative Cause) before an estimated crowd of 65,000.

“I've said it several times,” Cox said. “He's a horse we thought would get better with time and, obviously, age as well. And you know, he's obviously gotten better throughout the winter and he looks amazing. I think distance is probably an equalizer. He's not blessed with a tremendous amount of speed. He just kind of breaks. And he's not void of speed, but he kind of finds his way and they get away from him a little bit. But he settles. He's a very smart horse. Probably the biggest thing with him. Pretty big crowd here. There was a lot of noise in the paddock. Stands there and really presented himself well yesterday in the paddock and in the infield when we legged the riders up. He was on his toes, but he wasn't hot at all. He was feeling good. You could tell he was ready to run. Loved how he was acting mentally.”

Angel of Empire's eventual winning margin, 2 1/2 lengths in mid-stretch, ballooned in the run to the wire.

“Even in the gallop out, they weren't close to him,” Cox said. “Flavien had never sat on him and he came back said, 'Wow! This horse, the further, the better.'”

Angel of Empire collected 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Arkansas Derby victory, which pushed his overall total to 154, good enough for second on the leaderboard.

Cox said he doesn't have a jockey commitment yet for the Kentucky Derby.

“They'll sort themselves out over the next several weeks, between the Blue Grass, Wood and Santa Anita Derby,” Cox said. “We'll see what happens.”

Cox also notched his second career victory in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Fantasy S. with Wet Paint, a homebred who races for her breeder, Godolphin. Last of 10 early, Wet Paint rolled to a 2 1/2-length victory over Taxed (Collected) to become only the second filly behind Eight Belles to sweep what are now Oaklawn's three Kentucky Oaks points races. Wet Paint also won the Martha Washington S. Jan. 28 and the GIII Honeybee Stakes Feb. 25. Saturday's race marked the filly's first try around two turns over a fast track after catching off tracks in both the Martha Washington and the Honeybee.

“Listen, we don't know until we try,” Cox said. “We didn't know until we ran yesterday. But her works here have been awfully good on dry tracks, so I felt pretty confident we'd get a big run from her as long as we got pace to run at. We got it. She's definitely one of the top fillies in the country.”

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From Last to First, Blame’s Wet Paint Takes the Fantasy

It's hard to fault Wet Paint (f, 3, Blame–Sky Painter, by Street Cry {Ire}), who can win on wet or dry, has improved with each start, looks to like a distance, is unbeaten on dirt, and has been unstoppable in Oaklawn Park's 3-year-old filly series, with her latest conquest Saturday's GIII Fantasy S. in Hot Springs. The late-running Godolphin homebred won her third straight as she marches to the GI Kentucky Oaks as the current points leader with 170. The Fantasy divvied up points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a scale of 100-40-30-20-10, also giving Taxed (Collected) and Olivia Twist (Mshawish), who chased Wet Paint home in second and third, respectively, a potential spot in the Oaks gate May 5.

Winning trainer Brad Cox won the Oaks in 2018 with Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and again in 2020 with Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil).

The 3-5 heavy favorite in the Fantasy, Wet Paint trailed far back–at least a dozen lengths–early as 5-1 Grand Love (Gun Runner) led with her ears pricked through :22.98 and :47.08 fractions. Roused entering the turn, Wet Paint swept around the field with ease and loomed menacingly as Grand Love was swamped in mid-stretch. Under minimal encouragement, Wet Paint flew by at least five wide as Taxed and Olivia Twist picked up the leftovers to her inside. Wrapped up on at the end, Wet Paint won far easier than the 2 1/2-length margin would suggest. She was Cox's second Fantasy winner following Sassy Sienna (Midshipman) in 2018 and Godolphin's first.

“I guess when you break and they kind of get away from you a bit you're always a little concerned,” said Cox. “But they were strung out a little bit. I saw the half in 47 and thought she was going to be able to close into it, and she finished up well. When Flavien [Prat] asked her to pick it up at the half-mile, you could tell he was riding her with a lot of confidence. At the three-eighths pole, she ranged up and was just cruising along. Very happy with how she finished up and galloped out. She ran great, won going away.”

Wet Paint has never been beaten on dirt. She broke her maiden at second asking at Horseshoe Indianapolis last October and captured both the Jan. 28 Martha Washington S. and the Feb. 25 GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn this year, the latter two with twin 83 Beyer Speed Figures. Her only career losses came on debut on the Kentucky Downs grass and a December start in an optional allowance on Turfway's synthetic surface. All three of her previous main track starts were in the slop or on a wet-fast track, making the Fantasy, contested on a dry and fast track, an important test. She passed.

Cox said Wet Paint would likely ship to Churchill Downs this week to prepare for the Oaks.

Pedigree Notes:

Claiborne's Blame, the most established sire son of Claiborne's late Arch, has 45 black-type winners, including 21 graded winners. Wet Paint isn't the first of Blame's progeny to star as a sophomore at Oaklawn–his son, Nadal, won a division of the GI Arkansas Derby and GII Rebel S. in 2020 and now stands in Japan. Wet Paint is Blame's first stakes winner out of a Street Cry (Ire) mare, the latter having 135 black-type winners out of his daughters. The late Street Cry stood at Darley, the flagship U.S. farm of Godolphin.

Wet Paint is out of Sky Painter, second in Belmont's GIII Miss Grillo S. in 2013 and, like her daughter, a homebred for Godolphin. The Fantasy winner's fourth dam is Nastique (Naskra), a four-time Grade I winner and a multiple stakes producer. Sky Painter has a yearling filly by Darley stallion Medaglia d'Oro and was bred back to Not This Time for this spring.

Saturday, Oaklawn Park
FANTASY S.-GIII, $600,000, Oaklawn, 4-1, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.08, ft.
1–WET PAINT, 122, f, 3, by Blame
          1st Dam: Sky Painter (GSP, $169,755), by Street Cry (Ire)
          2nd Dam: Skylighter, by Sky Mesa
          3rd Dam: Painted Lady, by Broad Brush
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $354,900.
Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, $689,000. Werk Nick
Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click
for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Taxed, 119, f, 3, Collected–Yankee Union, by Yankee
Gentleman. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($27,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP; $105,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Richard Bahde;
B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Randy L. Morse. $109,200.
3–Olivia Twist, 122, f, 3, Mshawish–Twinkling, by War Chant.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $230,000
2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Brad King, Randy Andrews, G. Chris
Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee Lewis; B-Brushy
Hill, LLC (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $54,600.
Margins: 2HF, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.60, 33.10, 50.00.
Also Ran: Condensation, Grand Love, Pate, Towhead,
Take Charge Briana, Royal Spa, She's Lookin Lucky.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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