Bravazo the Star Attraction in Fifth Season Division

With his connections passing on the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1), Bravazo instead stays at home Jan. 25, running in the second of two divisions of the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The runner-up in the 2018 Preakness Stakes (G1) behind Justify , Bravazo receives a class drop Saturday. Eighth most recently behind winner Tom's d'Etat in the Nov. 29 Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill Downs, he notably exits 12 consecutive graded stakes, the past 10 in grade 1s.

Saturday also marks his second start following a layoff after he was sidelined for much of 2019 to remove a bone chip from a knee. Other than the Clark, he raced just one other time in 2019, placing fourth in last year's Pegasus at Gulfstream Park, beaten 12 lengths by winner City of Light .

He returned at a fitness disadvantage in the 1 1/8-mile Clark. Fifth after three-quarters, he backed up over the final three furlongs to lose by 10 1/2 lengths.

"I thought I had him pretty tight. When the running started, he was tired," Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.

A homebred 5-year-old son of Awesome Again racing for Calumet Farm, Bravazo faces seven foes in the one-mile stakes—a group that could have been larger with an overflow field. With 16 entries, Oaklawn Park officials elected to split them into eight runners in the first division—the fifth race on the card—and another eight, including Bravazo, in the eighth.

Though Bravazo, who will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez, is the big name given his $2 million bankroll and a victory in the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots at 3, he is the second choice at morning-line odds of 3-1 behind Pioneer Spirit at 5-2.

The latter, a $150,000 claim by trainer Robertino Diodoro in November at Churchill, defeated graded winners in his previous start when he edged Blended Citizen and Lone Sailor in the Dec. 21 Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds for owners Lawrence Roman, Heads Up Racing, and Lucky Dog Stables.

Video: Tenacious S. (BT)

Also in the field is Mocito Rojo, who was seventh in the Clark and won the Sept. 28 Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) at Churchill. Claimed from a maiden $10,000 race at Delta Downs in December 2016, he has made $804,000, and most of that was for current owner Wayne Davis and trainer Shane Wilson.

Yet another Clark rear-half finisher, ninth-place Snapper Sinclair, goes in the earlier division, where he is favored at 2-1 vs. Chris and Dave, Remembering Rita, Night Ops, and others. A late-running millionaire who was beaten a nose by Bravazo in the 2018 Risen Star, Snapper Sinclair won the Aug. 31 Tourist Mile Stakes at Kentucky Downs before a fourth-place finish in the Nov. 2 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park.

The two divisions of the Fifth Season kick off a four-race series for older dirt routers at Oaklawn that continues with the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 17, the $350,000 Essex Handicap March 14, and the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 18.

Also Saturday is the first leg of the stakes schedule for distaffers at Oaklawn, the $100,000 Pippin Stakes, the beginning local prep toward the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) Apr. 18.

Entries: Fifth Season S.

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, January 25, 2020, Race 5

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:08 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sky Promise (KY)	Orlando Mojica	115	Robertino Diodoro	8/1
2	2Guest Suite (KY)	Walter De La Cruz	122	Cipriano Contreras	10/1
3	3Snapper Sinclair (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	2/1
4	4Remembering Rita (KY)	Alex Birzer	119	Doug L. Anderson	9/2
5	5Chris and Dave (KY)	Stewart Elliott	119	Federico Villafranco	4/1
6	6Sonneteer (KY)	Richard E. Eramia	122	J. Keith Desormeaux	8/1
7	7Night Ops (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	5/1
8	8Lenstar (VA)	Channing Hill	119	Nicholas P. Zito	12/1

Entries: Fifth Season S.

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, January 25, 2020, Race 8

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1M G Warrior (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	8/1
2	2Mocito Rojo (KY)	Filemon T. Rodriguez	122	Shane Wilson	8/1
3	3Rated R Superstar (KY)	Walter De La Cruz	122	Cipriano Contreras	10/1
4	4Bankit (NY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	5/1
5	5Bravazo (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	115	D. Wayne Lukas	3/1
6	6Pioneer Spirit (KY)	Orlando Mojica	122	Robertino Diodoro	5/2
7	7Colonelsdarktemper (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	115	William H. Fires	12/1
8	8Sevier (KY)	Joseph Talamo	115	Michael J. Maker	10/1