Flagstaff Headlines King Cotton Stakes

Grade 2 winner Flagstaff is the 8-5 program favorite for the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes for older sprinters Feb. 6 at Oaklawn Park.

The ultra-consistent Flagstaff is the most accomplished of the six entrants, finishing first, second, or third in 13 of 15 career starts and bankrolling $555,785 for trainer John Sadler and co-owners Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing. The 7-year-old gelding's only poor performance came in his only career route, a ninth-place finish in a September 2018 allowance optional claiming race at Del Mar.  

Excluding Flagstaff's route race and May 2018 career debut, the gelding's Beyer Speed Figures have ranged between 91 and 97 in his other 13 starts, including a victory in the San Carlos Stakes (G2) last March at Santa Anita and a fast-closing second in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) last April at Oaklawn. Flagstaff hasn't started since finishing second—beaten a head—in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) Sept. 27 at Santa Anita Park.

"He's got top-class form," Sadler said.

Flagstaff, among approximately 20 horses the Southern California-based Sadler has at Oaklawn, has recorded two local works in advance of his 2021 debut.

The King Cotton and $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes March 13 are Oaklawn's two major preps for the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint (G3) April 10. Whitmore finished second in last year's King Cotton before sweeping the Hot Springs, Count Fleet, and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland en route to an Eclipse Award as the country's champion male sprinter of 2020.

Whitmore is being pointed for the Hot Springs, a race he's won the last four years, but co-owner/trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs still will be represented in the King Cotton by Seven Nation Army.

Seven Nation Army, who is seeking his first stakes victory, finished fourth behind 2020 Eclipse Awards finalist Volatile  in the Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs and second in the David M. Vance Sprint Stakes at Remington Park. Seven Nation Army exits a five-furlong allowance victory Nov. 22 at Churchill Downs.

"I think he's an improving horse and he's got some ability," Moquett said. "I think that he's going to run well wherever we run him. I'm just trying to place him to where he can get the most out of whatever that is."

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen upset Whitmore in last year's King Cotton with Share the Upside. The 10-time Oaklawn training champion has two entrants this year, Boldor and grade 3 winner Strike Power, who has never raced at Oaklawn.

Boldor, a 2020 allowance optional claiming winner at Oaklawn, captured the Sam's Town Stakes Jan. 4 at Delta Downs in his last start. The King Cotton will be Boldor's first start since being reported a gelding, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization.

Also entered are Jan. 22 Oaklawn allowance winner and grade 1-placed Mucho for trainer John Ortiz and Minnesota-bred star Mr. Jagermeister for co-owner/trainer Valorie Lund.

Entries: King Cotton S.

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, February 06, 2021, Race 8

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Strike Power (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	115	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
2	2Seven Nation Army (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	122	Ron Moquett	9/2
3	3Flagstaff (KY)	Florent Geroux	115	John W. Sadler	8/5
4	4Mucho (KY)	Joseph Talamo	122	John Alexander Ortiz	8/1
5	5Boldor (VA)	David Cabrera	117	Steven M. Asmussen	5/1
6	6Mr. Jagermeister (MN)	Rocco Bowen	115	Valorie Lund	4/1