Southwest, Martha Washington on tap at Oaklawn Park

Jan 25, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Litmus Test gave trainer Bob Baffert his 15th Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) victory (Photo by Benoit Photo)

Oaklawn Park will contribute to a busy Saturday of scoring races, with the $1 million Southwest (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the $300,000 Martha Washington for Kentucky Oaks (G1) candidates.

Each race is contested over 1 1/16 miles, and the same points structure holds for both, offering points on a 20-10-6-4-2 sliding scale to the top five finishers.

The Southwest is set to go off as the 11th race at 5:40 p.m. ET. The fillies in the Martha Washington will square off earlier in the sixth race (2:59 p.m. ET).

You can watch and wager on the racing action in Hot Springs, Arkansas, at TwinSpires.com.

Southwest (G3)

The Southwest serves as the second leg in Oaklawn’s series of Derby preps, following the Smarty Jones S. on Jan. 3.

The top five from the Smarty Jones are all coming back on Saturday, led by Mark Casse’s convincing winner, Strategic Risk, and his stablemate Silent Tactic, who rallied well for second. Also renewing rivalry are Baytown Dreamer, the longshot third in the Smarty Jones; fourth-placer Sleepingonfreedom; and fifth Rancho Santa Fe representing Brad Cox.

STRATEGIC RISK was in a stalking position throughout before pouncing to a dominant victory in the Smarty Jones S. for the hot @markecasse barn! 🔥@jjcjockey had the mount.

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/nTVPE0WXsT

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) January 3, 2026

But the Smarty Jones alumni will have to deal with several new high-profile opponents, who promise to raise the level of competition and make the Southwest a tougher test.

Chief among them is Litmus Test from the Southern California barn of six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert. The Hall of Fame trainer has likewise won the Southwest six times, but interestingly, not with any of his eventual Kentucky Derby stars.

Litmus Test, a son of 2016 Derby champion Nyquist, currently sits third on the leaderboard with 19 points. Third in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) behind champion Ted Noffey, Litmus Test just scored a breakthrough victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).

Kentucky Derby Pedigree Profile: Litmus Test 📘

Read Here ⬇️ https://t.co/OaNqtKCEdG

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) December 16, 2025

Fellow Baffert trainee Buetane is cross-entered to the Southwest and to the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Buetane also lost to Ted Noffey last season, finishing a distant second in the Sept. 1 Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga. The $1.15 million juvenile purchase did not race again until the Jan. 10 San Vicente (G2) at Santa Anita, where he turned in an encouraging runner-up effort off the layoff. Buetane stretches out to two turns for the first time on Saturday, either here or in the Holy Bull.

Liberty National is well regarded by Kenny McPeek, who sent out Mystik Dan to win the 2024 Southwest en route to his epic Derby upset. A resounding maiden winner on the Nov. 29 “Stars of Tomorrow II” card at Churchill Downs, Liberty National ran a better-than-appears second in the Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds in his latest.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Soldier N Diplomat, who tired to third in the Nov. 29 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, remains a question mark at this distance. A route of ground is totally unknown territory for D’code, a romping debut winner in a six-furlong sprint over this track for Ray Ashford.

Bricklin was also impressive in his local appearance in a one-mile allowance. But two starts back, the Rodolphe Brisset pupil was only sixth in Churchill’s Street Sense (G3).

Rounding out the 14-strong field are three recent Oaklawn maiden winners, Reclamation and the Dallas Stewart duo of Circle Tap and Spirit of Royal.

Martha Washington S.

Hit Parade, the only entrant with experience in an Oaks points race, scored a hard-fought win in the Untapable S. at Fair Grounds. Trained by Cox, the Gary and Mary West homebred is a daughter of 2007 Derby champion Street Sense.

But the one to beat could be Counting Stars, who seeks her third straight stakes victory. The Casse filly crushed her past two at Oaklawn, the Astral Spa S. and Year’s End S., by a combined margin of 10 lengths. Stablemate Search Party, a well-bred daughter of Gun Runner, makes her stakes debut after a dominant maiden win at this track and trip.

McPeek is also double-handed with comebacker Spitfire, whose second in last summer’s Sorority S. makes her a player, and recent maiden winner Maximum Offer.

Grace Is Free and Knickleandime, the top two from the six-furlong Mockingbird S., and Newtown Pike, best of the rest behind Counting Stars in the Year’s End, complete the eight-filly field.