Iron Orchard battles to win Frizette; Explora much the best in Oak Leaf

Oct 04, 2025 J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

Iron Orchard (left) wins the Frizette at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photos)

A pair of Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifiers worth 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top five finishers took place on a busy Saturday seven months out from the 2026 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Frizette (G1)

Unwavering tenacity carried Iron Orchard to a narrow victory in the one-mile $500,000 Frizette at Aqueduct, bringing her lifetime record to a perfect 3-for-3.

Owned by CSLR Racing Partners and R. A. Hill Stable, Iron Orchard made her first two starts at Saratoga in races restricted to horses bred in New York. She won both, including the Seeking the Ante S., with ease.

The Frizette was a tougher race, but Iron Orchard proved up to the challenge. The Danny Gargan trainee stayed within three lengths of the pace as Carmel Coast and Rileytole showed the way through fractions of :22.49, :44.84, and 1:09.25. Then Iron Orchard rallied wide under jockey Joel Rosario to challenge the leaders.

In the final furlong, Rileytole and Iron Orchard engaged in a duel while pulling 4 1/4 lengths clear of the rest. The outcome could have gone either way, but Iron Orchard refused to lose and got her nose across the finish line first in the time of 1:35.97.

Iron Orchard is 3 for 3 and on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks! 🌸pic.twitter.com/aamHjDAiWm

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) October 4, 2025

“Good trip. I thought she may go right to the lead, but it looked like she relaxed today,” said Rosario. “Danny has done an excellent job with her. Everybody at the barn with her did a great job, so this was great… I was worried a little bit when she was so calm and relaxed today. She did awesome.”

Five Bars finished third, followed by Steer Clear, Lovely Christina, Carmel Coast, Jetty’s Home, Rina’s Revenge, Chopsticks, and Icecreamforevryone.

Iron Orchard debuts in second place on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, trailing only Tommy Jo, who won the Alcibiades (G1) on Friday.

Oak Leaf (G2)

In contrast to the close Frizette finish, Explora left no doubt about her superiority in the $200,000 Oak Leaf (G2) at Santa Anita.

Heavily favored based off a runner-up finish in last month’s Del Mar Debutante (G1), Explora relished racing 1 1/16 miles in the Oak Leaf, which marked her first start in a two-turn race. The daughter of Blame was unhurried early on, settling off the pace as Himika set fractions of :23.14 and :46.98. But despite racing wide around both turns, Explora unleashed a strong bid to seize command in the homestretch and draw off to a 4 1/4-length win.

“She relaxed really good today and she’s improving a lot,” said Juan Hernandez, who rode Explora for three-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Bob Baffert. “Before, she just wanted to break fast and go to the lead. But today she learned how to settle behind the pace and then responded when I asked. Around the three-eighths pole, I started to pick it up, and she responded right away and finished really strong. She’s learning how to run and how to relax, and that’s a big step forward.”

Explora completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.13 and earned a 'Win and You're In' berth to compete in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). La Wally finished second over La Ville Lumiere, followed distantly by Banzai Betty, Himika, and Heaven’s Bolt.

Owned by the partnership of Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Explora debuts in third place on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.