HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Angel of Empire’s dominant win in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby put an exclamation point on a perfect afternoon of stakes racing for trainer Brad Cox on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. Cox won the three stakes in which he had starters, with Wet Paint notching 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks in the Grade 3, $600,000 Fantasy and Eyeing Clover becoming a stakes winner in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes. The wins came before an estimated ontrack crowd of 65,000. “These are days you never forget,” Cox said. “These are very, very special days. We’re very fortunate to be in this position – a lot of great horses, great clients, great staff. The horses have to do the work. Our job is to prepare them.” Angel of Empire ($11.40) was winning his second straight Kentucky Derby points race with the victory, as he came into the Arkansas Derby off a victory in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds. He was content to let the first flight go, settling in seventh as Two Eagles River set fractions of 23.27 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.26 for the half-mile, and 1:12.24 for six furlongs, pushed along by Reincarnate. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2023: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Angel of Empire started his bid into the final turn under jockey Flavien Prat, advanced four wide around the competition, and continued his momentum to take the lead in the stretch. Angel of Empire went on to cover the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.68, getting a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. “Very impressive, very happy with the performance,” Cox said. “We always thought he was a mile-and-a-quarter horse, and he showed today the longer the better. Flavien put him in a great position, and he finished up great.” Prat also won the Fantasy on Saturday. Angel of Empire won by 4 1/4 lengths over King Russell, who was sent to post at 55-1 and picked up 40 points for his runner-up finish Saturday. Reincarnate finished a half-length back in third and picked up 30 points for the Kentucky Derby. The remaining points distribution of 20 and 10 went to Rocket Can and Airtime, with Airtime not currently nominated to the Triple Crown.  Angel of Empire is a son of Classic Empire, the champion who won the Arkansas Derby in 2017. He races for Albaugh Family Stables and became a millionaire with his win Saturday, improving his record to 4 for 6 for earnings of $1,069,375. Angel of Empire was bred in Pennsylvania like another popular Arkansas Derby winner – Smarty Jones. Smarty Jones went on to win the Kentucky Derby. Angel of Empire was giving Cox his second straight win in the race, as he captured last year’s Arkansas Derby with Cyberknife. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  Cox said Angel of Empire would now ship to Churchill Downs, likely on either Tuesday or Wednesday. “We’ll start preparing for the Derby,” he said. Cox said Wet Paint would be on the same travel schedule as Angel of Empire. For now, there will be a little quiet time for Cox. “I’m going to go home and fall asleep,” he said. No doubt, he’ll be dreaming of angels. * Handle on the 13-race card that featured four stakes was $22,165,065, according to figures provided by Oaklawn. The Racing Festival of the South continues Sunday with the running of the Temperence Hill that drew millionaire Lone Rock. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.