After operating a quiet second in his preliminary grime begin within the Jan. 3 Smarty Jones Stakes, Silent Tactic introduced his Kentucky Derby (G1) credentials with a hard-charging, widening victory within the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 at Oaklawn Park.
Although overshadowed by others coming into the 1 1/16-mile race—together with his Mark Casse-trained and John Oxley-owned stablemate Strategic Threat , who had crushed him within the Smarty Jones—Silent Tactic probably will not be neglected going ahead. He closed with authority within the Southwest, blowing previous 9 rivals within the stretch whereas giving each look of a horse more likely to relish the basic Kentucky Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles. Fanned out broad Friday into the stretch by Cristian Torres, he completed filled with run to take command contained in the sixteenth pole on his option to a 3 1/4-length victory over runner-up Soldier N Diplomat , who had taken a quick lead between calls in midstretch after stalking the tempo.Silent Tactic, b, 3/c
Tacitus — Magical Signal, by Gun Runner
Proprietor: John C. Oxley
Breeder: Don Alberto Company (KY)
Coach: Mark E. Casse
Jockey: Cristian A. Torres
Data supplied by Equibase at time of entry.
Pedigree Notes
Tacitus stands at Taylor Made Stallions, Inc. for $5,000 (2026).
Sale Historical past
OBSAPR2025 • $500,000 • Consignor: Thorostock • Purchaser: Justin Casse, agent.
FTKOCT2024 • $60,000 • Consignor: Taylor Made Gross sales Company, for Don Alberto Company • Purchaser: Kimmel/Sallusto, agent for Thorostock.
Search Get together, b, 3/f
Gun Runner — Devious Appeal, by Into Mischief
Proprietor: Tracy Farmer
Breeder: Tracy Farmer (KY)
Coach: Mark E. Casse
Jockey: Cristian A. Torres
Data supplied by Equibase at time of entry.
Pedigree Notes
Gun Runner stands at Three Chimneys Farm for $250,000 (2026).
Oxley’s Silent Tactic, who in victory turned the primary stakes winner for second-crop sire Tacitus , clocked 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.85. He paid $26 to win.
Torres celebrated by standing up within the irons as Silent Tactic accomplished his remaining strides to the end line.
“I knew there was going to be a number of tempo within the race, so I used to be not anxious about being shut or wherever I used to be going to be,” Torres stated in an in-house interview. “I simply broke and let him be wherever he desires to be, and he responded on the quarter pole. He confirmed up.”Join BloodHorse Each day
The Bob Baffert-trained Southern California invader Buetane , who chased pacesetting D’code , the 2-1 favourite, by fractions of :23.52, :47.52, and 1:12.81, was third, adopted by Rancho Santa Fe in fourth. Circle Faucet , a 66-1 longshot, ran fifth.
Disappointing for Oxley and Casse, Strategic Threat got here underneath a drive on the second flip and weakened to tenth.
The Southwest, the richest race up to now in 2026 on the Street to the Kentucky Derby, provided qualifying factors on a 20-10-6-4-2 foundation to its high 5 finishers, supplied they’re Triple Crown nominees. Officers at Churchill Downs, the place the Might 2 Kentucky Derby is contested, use qualifying factors to advertise the race and as a choice system when the primary leg of the Triple Crown attracts greater than its most subject measurement of 20 horses.
Silent Tactic is now atop the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 25 factors, a complete that features 5 factors he picked up within the Smarty Jones.
The Southwest, initially carded for Jan. 31, was postponed due to subfreezing temperatures in Arkansas that left the grime observe frozen for greater than per week. The climate was considerably higher Friday, with excessive temperatures within the 70s.
Casse speculated that the misplaced coaching time could have compromised Strategic Threat, saying it might probably influence some horses and never others.
“I surprise if it affected him slightly bit, however it positive made Silent Tactic actually good,” he advised FOX Sports activities.
Silent Tactic, bought final 12 months by bloodstock agent Justin Casse for $500,000 from the Thorostock consignment to the Ocala Breeders’ Gross sales Spring Sale of 2-Yr-Olds in Coaching, was bred in Kentucky out of the Gun Runner mare Magical Signal . He notched his second profession victory within the Southwest after scoring on debut Oct. 10 as a 2-year-old at Woodbine on its all-weather Tapeta floor. He later ran second within the Nov. 2 Gray Stakes (G3) there earlier than his runner-up end within the Smarty Jones.
He earned $495,000 by taking the Southwest, bringing his profession earnings to $594,422.
Tacitus, who received the Wooden Memorial Stakes (G2) in 2019 earlier than persevering with that 12 months to run third within the Kentucky Derby and second within the Belmont Stakes (G1), stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Central Kentucky for $5,000.
Three members of the Southwest have gone on to win the Derby: Lil E. Tee (1992), Smarty Jones (2004), and Mystik Dan (2024). Smarty Jones and Mystik Dan received each races, whereas Lil E. Tee ran third within the Southwest.
Casse didn’t instantly decide to operating Silent Tactic again within the March 1 $1 million Insurgent Stakes (G2), the subsequent leg in Oaklawn’s stakes sequence for 3-year-olds. That 1 1/16-mile race precedes the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 28.
“We’ll determine it out, however we’re not leaving Oaklawn,” he stated.
Video: Southwest S. (G3)
Search Get together Finds Daylight, Takes Martha Washington
Casse and Torres had earlier high-level stakes success Friday at Oaklawn when Tracy Farmer’s Search Get together shook freed from visitors on the second flip earlier than surging to outkick late-running Newtown Pike by a neck within the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The victorious daughter of Gun Runner, who stalked the tempo inside in third for the primary half-mile earlier than falling to fifth when caught behind horses on the second flip, tipped out three broad to discover a clear path within the stretch on her option to finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.56.
She was one among 4 winners on the cardboard for the Corridor of Fame coach, who’s having fun with a banner Oaklawn Park meet.
Newtown Pike completed a half-length forward of present finisher Knickleandime , who weakened after setting fractions of :23.10, :47.83, and 1:13.31. Most Supply was fourth and Hit Parade fifth. Favored Counting Stars , Search Get together’s stablemate, pale to complete a badly crushed final within the subject of eight.
Picture: Coady Media/Andrew StauffacherSearch Get together outfinishes Newtown Pike to win the Martha Washington Stakes
The Martha Washington Stakes, just like the Southwest, awarded comparable qualifying factors to an upper-tier race at Churchill Downs—the Might 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies.
Search Get together is a homebred for Farmer, who bred her in Kentucky out of the Into Mischief mare Devious Appeal . She adopted up a Dec. 27 maiden victory at Oaklawn in taking the Martha Washington, enhancing to 2-1-2 in six begins with earnings of $276,211.
“The primary horse I ever purchased for Tracy Farmer was her mom,” Casse stated. “That is particular. The Farmers have been such nice supporters of ours, and he or she confirmed a number of coronary heart immediately.”
Video: Martha Washington S. (BT)
