First Mission, Instant Replay score for Cox stable at Oaklawn

The Brad Cox stable continued its recent cleanup of lucrative worldwide dirt stakes for older horses when First Mission rallied in between rivals in the stretch to take the $1.25 million Oaklawn H. (G2) on Saturday.

Two weeks after stablemate Hit Show registered a massive upset in the Dubai World Cup (G1), First Mission's success was far more expected. In fact, the five-year-old son of Street Sense was bet down to 7-5 favoritism

Rating in an ideal spot in fourth as outsider Go West Go and 2024 Oaklawn H. winner Skippylongstocking exchanged leads through honest fractions of :22.83 and :46.67. The latter also held a tenuous lead after six furlongs in 1:10.88.

First Mission began to gather momentum in upper stretch and ultimately darted through a gap between Banishing and a tiring Skippylongstocking to win by two lengths.

"The trip worked out great. The pace was key today," winning jockey Flavien Prat said.

A Godolphin homebred, First Mission completed 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:49.09. He paid $4.80.

Banishing finished second, 5 3/4 lengths ahead of Skippylongstocking. Rounding out the order were Disarm, Alexander Helios, Red Route One, Tarantino, and Go West Go.

The Oaklawn H. was the fourth career stakes win for First Mission, who previously accounted for the 2023 Lexington (G3) and the 2024 editions of the Essex H. (G3) and Alysheba (G2). He's also narrowly missed winning two others, the 2023 Clark (G2) by a nose and the Feb. 23 Razorback H. (G3) at Oaklawn by a neck.

First Mission has now won six of 12 outings and surpassed the $2 million mark in career earnings on Saturday.

Earlier in the card, Instant Replay stamped his ticket to Baltimore for the May 17 Preakness (G1) with a come-from-behind win in the $200,000 Bathhouse Row S.

A rallying third in his stakes debut in last month's Louisiana Derby (G2), Instant Replay's class came through in the Bathhouse Row despite not getting much help pace-wise. The son of Maximum Security was up to win by three parts of a length over Caldera. First Division, a 20-1 chance, finished third in the field of six.

"Turning for home, honestly, I thought he was just going to get a piece. He [found] another gear," winning jockey Flavien Prat said.

A homebred by campaigned by Gary and Mary West, the Brad Cox-trained Instant Replay covered nine furlongs in 1:52.06 and paid $3.40.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas saddled Princess Aliyah ($17.20) to an upset win in the $200,000 Valley of the Vapors S. for three-year-old fillies over one mile. Princess Aliyah is a granddaughter of Winning Colors, the Lukas-trained filly who captured the 1988 Kentucky Derby (G1).