Home Brew Brings Intoxicating Form Into Smarty Jones

With an early December kickoff to the Oaklawn Park meet this winter, the Arkansas track's preps on the Road to the Kentucky Derby can begin with the New Year in 2022, starting Jan. 1 with the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes.

Named after the 2004 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, who won the Southwest Stakes, Rebel Stakes, and Arkansas Derby (G2) at Oaklawn before his success in Louisville, the Smarty Jones drew 14 newly turned 3-year-olds. They race a two-turn mile that begins and ends at the sixteenth pole, though the size of the field could still put outside drawn horses at a disadvantage.

The race offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale. Lasix is not permitted for the Smarty Jones and other Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifiers at Oaklawn.

While many are unproven around two turns, Gary and Mary West's Home Brew is already a winner routing, specifically at the trip at Oaklawn. He won a local allowance optional claimer Dec. 4 at a mile, setting the pace before pulling away for a 3 3/4-length victory under Florent Geroux, who returns in the irons in the Smarty Jones.

Gary and Mary West’s Home Brew wins like a 2-5 shot should in Race 2 for ⁦@bradcoxracing⁩ and ⁦@flothejock⁩ pic.twitter.com/8domKCKM7L

— Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (@OaklawnRacing) December 4, 2021

Before that race, Home Brew rallied to finish second in a six-furlong allowance race Nov. 14 at Churchill Downs. He also won a maiden race on debut at Laurel Park Sept. 10 for then-trainer Kelly Breen. 

The Street Sense   colt is a homebred out of the Tapit   mare Omnitap, making him a full brother to Air Strike  , winner of the 2019 Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. Home Brew is one of two Brad Cox-trained entrants, the other being Shortleaf Stable's Vivar . Home Brew seemingly drew well in post 3, while Vivar breaks from post 8.

Vivar is another route victor, having broken his maiden at a mile on turf at Kentucky Downs in his second start before following up that race with an off-the-grass allowance victory going 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Keeneland Oct. 29. Most recently, he was a non-threatening sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Nov. 27.

Martin Garcia rides the Cairo Prince   colt, who worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 at Oaklawn Dec. 19.

"I think they're both horses that probably want a little bit more than a mile," said Cox. "But given they've already won the first-level allowance, there's really not a lot of options out there and this is probably going to give us a pretty good line on if they're going to be horses that are going to compete in the 3-year-old stakes division here at Oaklawn throughout the winter."

Cox and Shortleaf Stable won the Smarty Jones in early January with Caddo River , who romped by 10 1/4 lengths under Geroux.

Also exiting the Kentucky Jockey Club is Willis Horton Racing's Ben Diesel , who pressed the pace before tiring late to finish fourth. He was 6 1/2 lengths behind victorious Smile Happy  but 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Vivar.

Video: Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2)

Ben Diesel is hung out in post 14 in the Smarty Jones under Jon Court, though the colt's early speed may allow him to clear many runners to his inside. Before the Kentucky Jockey Club, he had won on debut at Churchill Downs.

"He's just got to break, which he does break good, generally, and he could be in command of the race," said trainer Dallas Stewart. "He hopefully won't get in any trouble. If he's a little bit wide in the first turn, we'll just have to deal with that. But he's a good, fit colt and he's run two races that have been over a distance of ground, so fitness shouldn't be a problem."

Ben Diesel is a son of Will Take Charge  , who won the 2013 Smarty Jones for Willis Horton and trainer D. Wayne Lukas on his way to champion 3-year-old honors.

Ben Diesel is a full brother to Will's Secret , winner of the Martha Washington Stakes and Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn in 2021. She also ran third as a 3-year-old in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Already stakes-placed is Barber Road , a close second to Tejano Twist  in the Lively Shively Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 27. Though that race and two other starts from the Race Day  colt have come in sprints, he also captured a route maiden claiming race Oct. 14 at Keeneland for trainer John Ortiz and owner WSS Racing.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the 2020 Smarty Jones with Mike McCarty's Gold Street , runs three horses: Ed and Susie Orr's All in Sync , HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud's Cairama , and Rockingham Ranch and Supreme Racing's Cool Papa G .

Trainer Phil D'Amato also has a new addition to his stable in the race with Agave Racing Stable and Kevin Knuckley's Don'tcrossthedevil . The Cross Traffic   colt won his first two starts for trainer Jaylan Clary, who co-owned him with Knuckley before Agave Racing Stable acquired its interest.

James Rogers and Michael Robinson's Kavod  is the race's lone stakes winner, having captured the six-furlong Advent Stakes Dec. 3 at Oaklawn for trainer Chris Hartman.

Entries: Smarty Jones S.

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, January 01, 2022, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo
• 4:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dash Attack (KY)	David Cohen	117	Kenneth G. McPeek	12/1
2	2All in Sync (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	117	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
3	3Home Brew (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	3/1
4	4Kavod (KY)	Francisco Arrieta	119	Chris A. Hartman	5/1
5	5Ignitis (KY)	Luis Contreras	117	D. Wayne Lukas	15/1
6	6Bureau (IL)	David Cabrera	117	Ron Moquett	12/1
7	7Ruggs (FL)	Julien R. Leparoux	117	Ron Moquett	10/1
8	8Vivar (KY)	Martin Garcia	119	Brad H. Cox	8/1
9	9Don'tcrossthedevil (KY)	Lane J. Luzzi	117	Philip D'Amato	10/1
10	10Barber Road (KY)	Reylu Gutierrez	117	John Alexander Ortiz	4/1
11	11Cairama (KY)	Geovanni Franco	117	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
12	12Cool Papa G (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	117	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1
13	13Immoral (KY)	Tiago Josue Pereira	117	Michael Puhich	20/1
14	14Ben Diesel (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	117	Dallas Stewart	5/1