$300,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) 

Grade 1 winners Full Serrano and East Avenue are among eight older horses entered in the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) Saturday at Oaklawn.

The Oaklawn Mile is the third of four stakes on a 14-race card that begins at 11:35 a.m. CDT. The program also features the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles and the $200,000 Temperence Hill Stakes for older horses at 1 ½ miles. Probable post time for the Oaklawn Mile, the 11th race, is 5:22 p.m.

The Oaklawn Mile field from the rail out: Will Take It, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 124 pounds, 10-1 on the morning line; Neoequos, Irad Ortiz Jr., 119, 12-1; Gun Party, Erik Asmussen, 117, 12-1; East Avenue, Cristian Torres, 117, 7-2; Full Serrano, Antonio Fresu, 117, 2-1; Coal Battle, Corey Lanerie, 117, 6-1; Nu What’s New, Luis Saez, 124, 3-1; and Awesome Aaron, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 10-1.

Program favorite Full Serrano, based in Southern California with trainer John Sadler, recorded his biggest career victory to date in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in November 2024 at Del Mar.

Full Serrano will be making his first start since finishing third, beaten 7 ¼ lengths by Skippylongstocking, in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park.

East Avenue is also a Grade 1 winner, taking the Breeders’ Futurity in October 2024 at Keeneland for trainer Brendan Walsh. East Avenue, unraced since early August, will be facing older horses for the first time.

The top local hope could be Nu What’s New, who exits a runner-up finish behind Dubai World Cup entrant Magnitude in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 28. The speedy Nu What’s New was making his stakes debut for trainer Jimmy DiVito after winning his first two starts this season at Oaklawn by a combined 20 front-running lengths.

“I think a mile might be a little better distance for him,” DiVito said. “Still two turns, so that helps. I think he likes two turns. It’s a tough race. It’s not easy because, of course, a horse that won the Breeders’ Cup for John Sadler is in there. We’ll try to get out there on the pace and, hopefully, the rider can slow him down and finish up strongly.”

Nu What’s New broke his maiden by 7 ½ lengths in one of the fastest mile races in Oaklawn history (1:35.52) Dec. 26. Nu What’s New returned to win a first-level allowance race at 1 1/16 miles by 12 ½ lengths Feb. 5.

“He’s run fast,” DiVito said. “If he can run fast against better horses, he’s all right.”

Neoequos, who will be making his Oaklawn debut for Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., exits a two-length victory in the Sunshine Turf Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park. Neoequos was behind future Horse of the Year Sovereignty in two major Kentucky Derby preps last year at Gulfstream Park – the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Florida Derby – finishing third in both races.

“We gave him a break and we brought him back on the grass,” Joseph said. “It was his first time on the grass and we always wanted to try it. He ran on it well. After that, we were deciding if we go back grass or change it up a little bit. We were going to go to Tampa, the Challenger, and he had cellulitis in a hind leg and missed a couple of days, so here we are for the Oaklawn Mile. He’s run some good two-turn races. He wasn’t far behind Sovereignty in the Florida Derby and he wasn’t far behind him in the Fountain of Youth. We think the two-turn mile kind of suits him and it’s worth a shot, especially for the purse.”

Will Take It returns to Oaklawn after winning its one-mile $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes Feb. 5 for trainer Dallas Stewart. Will Take It won the race by a head after a ground-saving ride by Santana, an eight-time Oaklawn riding champion.

“He loves a mile, it looks like to me,” Stewart said. “It’s ($500,000) going a mile, so we’re going stick to that plan. Very nice horse. Santana gave him a good ride the other day.”

Millionaire multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Coal Battle is unraced since finishing second in the Indiana Derby (G3) July 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis for trainer Lonnie Briley. Coal Battle has never faced older horses.

Grade 3 winner Awesome Aaron will be making his 2026 debut for trainer Norm Casse. Gun Party is seeking his first career stakes victory for co-owner/trainer Steve Asmussen.

$200,000 Temperence Hill Stakes

Pin Oak Stud’s Parchment Party is the even-money program favorite for the $200,000 Temperence Hill, which drew a field of six. Probable post time for the Temperence Hill, the fourth race, is 1:11 p.m. CDT.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott won the local prep for the Temperence Hill, the inaugural $135,000 Pig Trail Overnight Stakes March 1, with Batten Down, who dominated the 1 ½-mile race by 8 ¼ front-running lengths.

Mott said Monday afternoon that next-race plans are pending for Batten Down, but the Temperence Hill was a “little too close” for a return trip. Enter stablemate Parchment Party, who owns two stakes victories at 1 ¾ miles, including the off-the-turf Belmont Gold Cup (G3) last June at Saratoga.

Parchment Party’s first two career victories were at 1 1/16 miles in 2023 at Churchill Downs, but Mott said he believes the 5-year-old son of Constitution has found his niche at marathon distances.

“Going farther than a mile and a half would be fine for us, but I guess we’re lucky to find a mile and a half,” Mott said.

Parchment Party hasn’t started since finishing 20^th in the Melbourne Cup (G1) at about 2 miles on the turf Nov. 4 in Australia. Parchment Party earned an automatic berth into the Melbourne Cup with his 8 ½-length Belmont Gold Cup victory.

“He handled everything great,” Mott said. “He’s not really a turf horse.”

Parchment Party has nine published workouts since Jan. 18 at Payson Park Training Center in south Florida, including a six-furlong move March 15 and a five-furlong move Sunday.

“We’ve been planning on this since he got back from Australia,” Mott said of the Temperence Hill.

Mott has named Luis Saez to ride Parchment Party, who is scheduled to break from post 5 in the six-horse field. Parchment Party will add blinkers Saturday.

“He gets a little distracted in his workouts in the morning,” said Mott, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 1986. “Seems like that’s kept his focus a little better.”

Forged Steel, Happy Strike, Tracking Error, supplemental nominee Compton and Jokestar are also entered.

Jokestar (8-5) will mark the first career Oaklawn starter for trainer Kevin Attard. Jokestar, then under the care of trainer Shea Stuart, was a powerful entry-level allowance winner at 1 1/16 miles last April at Oaklawn. He exits a 6 ½-length victory in the Post Time Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 14 at Laurel.

Forged Steel (9-2) was a 6 ½-length winner of an allowance at 1 mile and 40 yards Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs in his last start for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.