Coal Front colt earns 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, will point to Oaklawn Park's Road to the Derby series
Coal Battle Rallies Late For Springboard Mile Upset On Remington's Closing-Night Card
Coal Battle won the war against 2-1 wagering favorite Speed King down the stretch, outlasting the speed demon by a half-length to win the $300,000 Springboard Mile Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. The marquee race for 2-year-olds at Remington Park was the headliner on the final night of the 2024 Thoroughbred season.
With regular rider Juan Vargas in the irons, Coal Battle took hold of the bit at the quarter pole and had about five lengths to make up for the victory. He dug in and got up to win by a half-length at 6-1 odds. Trainer Lonnie Briley said the 2-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Coal Front, out of the Midshipman mare Wolfblade, would make his next stop at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., in that track’s 3-year-old Triple Crown trail.
Speed King was five lengths in front of Dominant Spirit, who was another 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Dr Ruben M in fourth. Jolly Samurai was a neck behind Dr Ruben M in fifth-place.
Coal Battle, was the winner of the $100,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs in Louisiana in his previous start over a muddy track, going 6-1/2 furlongs. He won that race under Vargas by 2 1/2 lengths on Nov. 8. He also finished fourth in the $1 million Juvenile Mile at Kentucky Downs on the grass. If nothing else, Coal Battle has shown he is a versatile runner. He has now won on a sloppy track, by 3 1/2 lengths at first asking at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana, over a muddy track in the Jean Lafitte and now a fast track at Remington Park in the Springboard.