16Coal Battle

Coal Battle’s win in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep-race

Coal Battle's victory in the 2025 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park marked his third consecutive stakes triumph and solidified his status as a serious Kentucky Derby contender. Breaking from the rail post position, the dark bay colt demonstrated impressive tactical versatility, settling off the pace before launching a powerful five-wide move in the far turn to secure a commanding 1 1/4-length victory at odds of 12-1.

This performance built upon his previous stakes success at Oaklawn Park, where he captured the Smarty Jones Stakes on January 4, 2025, winning by four lengths after leading from the breka. That victory followed a gutsy win in the December 13 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, where he prevailed by a half-length going one mile.

The progression through his stakes campaign has been noteworthy -- from his initial stakes victory at Delta Downs sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in the mud, to successfully stretching out around two turns. His only defeats came in two turf attempts at Keeneland and Kentucky Downs, but since returning to dirt, he's been perfect in three stakes starts.

Regular rider Juan P. Vargas has been aboard for all of his victories, developing an excellent partnership with the colt. His running style has evolved from pure speed to a more versatile approach, suggesting continued development as distances increase. The Rebel victory, his most impressive to date, earned him 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Coal Battle’s win in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park, a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep-race

Coal Battle's emphatic four-length victory in the 2025 Smarty Jones Stakes showcased his continued evolution as a top Kentucky Derby prospect. Making his two-turn debut at Oaklawn Park, the son of Coal Front demonstrated newfound maturity, settling off the pace before unleashing a powerful stretch run under Juan P. Vargas at odds of 9-2.

The performance marked a significant step forward from his stakes victory at Remington Park in December, where he had shown promise but needed every yard of the mile distance to prevail by a half-length. The Smarty Jones victory proved that his stamina was developing alongside his tactical speed, as he 'backed up pace, ran on' professionally through the stretch.

This win, worth 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, served as a springboard to his subsequent Rebel Stakes triumph in February. The progression from his early sprint stakes win at Delta Downs (6 1/2 furlongs in the mud) to routing successfully in the Smarty Jones showed his versatility and development.

After two unsuccessful turf experiments at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland in the fall, the return to dirt racing in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park in December marked the beginning of his current three-race win streak. The Smarty Jones performance, in particular, suggested that Coal Battle was ready to tackle longer distances, a prediction he would validate in the Rebel Stakes seven weeks later.