Desert Gate dominates four-horse Hot Springs from gate to wire

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Desert Gate moved to the lead at the start of the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes on Thursday at Oaklawn Park and never looked back for a 9 3/4-length win over Soldier N Diplomat.

It was another 7 3/4 lengths back in third to Race Ready, who finished nose in front of fourth-place finisher Top Level.

The Hot Springs was the first stakes of the annual Racing Festival of the South, which features a number of major stakes over the final stretch of the meet. The race was for 3-year-olds, and after the field was scratched down to four, there was no show wagering.

Desert Gate ($2.80) invaded from Southern California for trainer Bob Baffert. After breaking from the rail under Flavien Prat, he proceeded to set fractions of 23.33 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, 46.58 for the half-mile, and 1:10.37 for six furlongs while stalked by Soldier N Diplomat. Desert Gate went on to cover the mile in 1:37.03.

:: Live racing action at Oaklawn Park! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now.

“With the one-hole, I wanted to get him out of there and get him in his rhythm,” Prat said in an interview broadcast by Oaklawn. “Obviously, the concern was drawing inside. He jumped okay and I was able to get him on the lead, and after that, I thought he was traveling very well.

“I talked to Bob and he wanted him to be forwardly placed, and he had the blinkers for the first time, so it sure didn’t hurt.”

The race Thursday ended at the sixteenth pole, as with all mile races at Oaklawn. The track was fast on an afternoon that reached 80 degrees.

Desert Gate is a son of Omaha Beach who races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. The Hot Springs was the second stakes win of his career after the Grade 3 Best Pal at Del Mar in August 2025. Desert Gate is now 3 for 6 for earnings of $372,000.

Baffert said earlier this week that with the right performance, Desert Gate would come under consideration for the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.

Bricklin, who was one of three scratches from the Hot Springs, is set to run Saturday at Oaklawn in the Arkansas Derby, according to his trainer, Rudy Brisset.

The Racing Festival continues Friday with the running of the Grade 2, $1 million Fantasy and the $250,000 Matron. The infield is scheduled to be open, according to Oaklawn officials.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.