Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, the place we’ll have a look every week at a latest winner on the Triple Crown path, normally from the Highway to the Kentucky Derby schedule that provides qualifying factors to the primary jewel of the collection. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve might be held Might 3, 2025, at Churchill Downs.

This week, we’ll take a better take a look at Coal Battle, the four-length winner of the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4 at Oaklawn Park. The Coal Entrance colt earned 10 factors towards qualifying for the 2025 Kentucky Derby with the win to spice up his whole to twenty factors. Coal Battle at present ranks second on the Highway to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Racing Résumé: There have been loads of Coal Battle doubters getting into the Smarty Jones Stakes – he was the fourth betting alternative amongst six starters at 9-2 odds – and absolutely fairly a number of will stay skeptical after his front-running four-length win Jan. 4 at Oaklawn Park. None of his wins up to now has been notably quick, however the Coal Entrance colt hasn’t misplaced a race on grime in 4 begins.

Coal Battle prolonged his stakes successful streak to a few after scoring by 2 ½ lengths within the 6 ½-furlong Jean Lafitte Stakes Nov. 8 at Delta Downs and successful the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile by a half-length Dec. 13 at Remington Park.

Previous to the Jean Lafitte, Coal Battle gained his debut July 25 at Evangeline Downs by 3 ½ lengths on a sloppy most important observe in a race washed off the grass. He then ran fourth on the turf at Kentucky Downs within the $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes in September earlier than an unplaced end on the Keeneland turf in October.

Discovering his area of interest on the grime, Coal Battle has flourished for coach Lonnie Briley, a seasoned 72-year-old coach from Louisiana however a recent face on the Triple Crown path.

“Do not know if it’s set in but,” Briley mentioned after successful the Smarty Jones with Coal Battle. “No, it is loopy for the little man, ?”

Coal Battle had rallied from off the tempo to win his earlier two begins however took command from his outdoors put up within the Smarty Jones with none of his opponents eager to set the tempo. Jockey Juan Vargas slowed the tempo to a crawl on the lead and Coal Battle had loads of gasoline in reserve for the stretch run, finishing his ultimate quarter-mile in :24.21 within the 1 1/16-mile race. Whereas the ending time of 1:46.43 was not quick – nor had been the pace figures (extra on that beneath) –  Coal Battle completed fairly nicely within the Smarty Jones and that’s motive for optimism. 

Briley informed Day by day Racing Type that the $1.25 million Insurgent Stakes on Feb. 22 at Oaklawn in all probability would be the subsequent begin on the Kentucky Derby path for Coal Battle.

Pace Figures: Equibase gave Coal Battle a career-high 96 Equibase Pace Determine for the Springboard Mile victory. He regressed to an 84 within the Smarty Jones, due primarily to the extraordinarily sluggish tempo (three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.64). Day by day Racing Type’s Beyer Pace Figures for the Jean Lafitte, Springboard Mile, and Smarty Jones had been: 76-84-84. He due to this fact paired Beyer Pace Figures within the Smarty Jones and can be eligible to enhance on seven weeks of relaxation within the Insurgent Stakes.

Whereas I imagine the sluggish tempo positively dulled Coal Battle’s Equibase Pace Determine and that he’s able to operating quicker, he has not but achieved so and doubtless might want to enhance by about 10 factors to be a win candidate within the Insurgent.

Operating Model: Coal Battle rallied from off the tempo in every of his earlier six begins, so coach Briley informed FanDuel TV in a post-race interview that he was stunned, and displeased, to see him setting a contested tempo within the Smarty Jones. However Briley credited jockey Juan Vargas for making an accurate judgement name within the second in recognizing the leisurely tempo to offer Coal Battle a successful trip. Briley mentioned within the tv interview that Coal Battle has tactical pace however he prefers to make use of the pace late somewhat than early, so search for the colt to return to off-the-pace techniques in future races.

Connections: Coal Battle is owned by Norman Stables, the racing operation of Robert Norman from Thomasville, Ala. He was bought for $70,000 as a yearling at public sale in Texas.

Lonnie Briley, an Opelousas, La. native, has amassed 335 wins via Jan. 5 since taking out his license in 1991. He earned his first profession stakes win in 1999 with Samantha Gwyn within the Camellia Stakes at Delta Downs. Coal Battle is Briley’s first a number of stakes winner and will give him the primary graded stakes win of his profession within the Insurgent.

Jockey Juan Vargas has ridden Coal Battle in 5 of his six begins, together with all 4 of his victories. He has earned 538 wins via Jan. 5, together with his first graded stakes win aboard Funnys Approval within the 2013 Barbara Fritchie Handicap and a number of graded stakes wins driving Potomac River.

Pedigree Notes: Coal Battle is from the second crop of a number of graded stakes winner Coal Entrance, winner of the 2019 Godolphin Mile Offered by Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum Metropolis – District One. Coal Entrance gained graded stakes at ages 3, 4, and 5 at distances starting from three-quarters of a mile to 1 1/16 miles. Coal Entrance has sired 5 stakes winners via Jan. 5 from his first two crops.

Stakes-placed sprinter Wolfblade, by Midshipman, is the dam (mom) of Coal Battle. Likewise, grandam (maternal grandmother) Venice Queen, by Latent Warmth, was a number of stakes-placed sprinter.

Coal Battle has regarded very robust since stretching out in distance, however his pedigree is just not one which jumps off the web page as an asset for excelling at 1 ¼ miles.

Derby Potential: It’s simple to root for the connections of Coal Battle as they discover themselves on the Kentucky Derby path for the primary time with a gifted 3-year-old colt driving a three-race stakes successful streak. It’s an important story.

“Each time we run him, he simply appears to shock us,” Briley mentioned. “He’s a neat little horse.”

With a purpose to turn out to be a critical participant on the Kentucky Derby path, Coal Battle might want to considerably increase his pace figures and outrun a pedigree that’s mild on stamina. I imagine he can take a step ahead in his subsequent race to deal with the previous, whereas the stamina concern, from my perspective, could be very actual. After all, the power to navigate and thrive at 1 ¼ miles is a key query for just about each Derby contender with just a few Thoroughbreds actually bred for distance.

If Coal Battle was a inventory, I’d in all probability maintain because it’s too early to purchase or promote at this level.