The three-year-old Hot Property will attempt to live up to his moniker this winter, beginning Saturday when he starts as the probable favorite in the $250,000 Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn Park.
The 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones is the first of four Road to the Kentucky Derby series preps at the Hot Springs, Arkansas, course. It will be followed later in the meet by the Southwest (G3), Rebel (G2), and Arkansas Derby (G1).
Being a younger race than the other three, the Smarty Jones has had limited long-term impact on the Kentucky Derby. However, it’s one that Brad Cox, trainer of Hot Property, has dominated recently with three wins in the last four years.
A win by Hot Property in the Smart Jones would be a welcome success for the Cox barn, which has started Oaklawn’s meet unusually slow with no wins from its first 15 starters.
Hot Property might prove tough with a replication of his debut performance at Fair Grounds last month. Despite holding a small lead early, the son of Medaglia d’Oro was allowed to set modest fractions and drew off convincingly to win by 3 3/4 lengths while earning a 100 Brisnet Late Pace figure.
Coal Battle is the most accomplished of the Smarty Jones entrants. Undefeated in three starts on dirt, Coal Battle enters off back-to-back stakes wins, including a half-length triumph in the Remington Springboard Mile, which netted him 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
Kale’s Angel won his only dirt start to date, in the 5 1/2-furlong Advent S. at Oaklawn on Dec. 6 by 5 3/4 lengths. The Peter Miller trainee has proven effective sprinting, but was unplaced in two prior attempts going a route.
The only other horse in the field of eight likely to start at single-digit odds is Mo Quality, who stretches out after breaking his maiden going 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs in his second career start.
The Smarty Jones offers Derby qualifying points of 10-5-3-2-1 to the respective top five finishers.
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