Godolphin, Cox Conquer Stakes at Oaklawn Park
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Photo: Coady Photo/Renee Torbit
First Mission wins the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park
The team of trainer Brad Cox, jockey Florent Geroux, and owner/breeder Godolphin swept both stakes races at Oaklawn Park March 23 in dominant fashion.
First Mission , who was coming off a disappointing ninth-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 27, re-asserted himself in the older horse division with a five-length victory in the $600,000 Essex Handicap (G3).
The 4-year-old Street Sense colt raced in second, just outside pacesetter Great Escape through fractions of :23.34, :47.63, and 1:12.05. First Mission was always doing it easily, and when Geroux gave him his cue on the far turn, First Mission was impressive.
He opened three lengths at the stretch call and continued to improve that advantage as he crossed the wire. Final time for 1 1/8 miles on the dirt track rated fast was a sharp 1:49.76.
Jerry Namy's homebred War Campaign closed for second place while Thorndale Stable and Jeff A. Hiles' Time for Trouble rallied for third.
First Mission won the 2023 Lexington Stakes (G3), defeating subsequent Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) winner Arabian Lion , and was considered a top contender for the Preakness Stakes (G1) before being scratched on advice of the track veterinarian 36 hours before the second leg of the Triple Crown.
He returned in the fall to win an allowance race at Keeneland and then finished second beaten a nose in the Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Nov. 24.
To date First Mission is the lone winner produced by the winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Elude. She sold to International Equities Holdings for $105,000—carrying a full sibling to First Mission—at the 2022 Keeneland January sale. First Mission's second dam is 2005 Argentine champion 3-year-old filly Forty Marchanta, by Roar.
Video: Essex H. (G3)
Nash Dominates Hot Springs
After facing some of the top 3-year-olds in New Orleans this winter, Godolphin homebred Nash found stakes company at Oaklawn to be more to his liking, as he was an easy winner of the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes Saturday for the combination of Cox and Geroux.
Bet to even money in the field of seven 3-year-olds, Nash rated in fourth place until commencing a four-wide move on the far turn. The Medaglia d'Oro colt took over the lead in early stretch and won by 5 1/2 lengths while under no further encouragement from his rider. Final time for the mile was 1:38.49.
Nash is out of Godolphin's multiple graded stakes-winning Malibu Moon mare Sara Louise . He has won two of six starts, with earnings of $264,500.
Nash wins the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt homebred Carbone , co-owned by Flurry Racing Stables, a colt by 2023 leading freshman sire Mitole , finished second. Keene Thoroughbreds' Frost Free , by Frosted , hung on for third after leading for six furlongs in 1:12.56. Both of those colts earned their first stakes placing.