Full Serrano headed to Oaklawn Mile after solid workout

Full Serrano, a well-beaten third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24, is scheduled to start in the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile at Oaklawn Park on March 28, trainer John Sadler said.

On Friday at Santa Anita, Full Serrano worked five furlongs in one minute, his first workout since going a half-mile in 47 seconds on Feb. 23.

“He worked well today,” trainer Sadler said.

Full Serrano missed a workout last week.

“He had a little foot issue we were working on,” Sadler said.

The Oaklawn Mile has a purse of $500,000, and is an ideal distance for Full Serrano, a 7-year-old Argentine-bred horse owned by Hronis Racing. Full Serrano won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar in November 2024.

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Last fall, Full Serrano was second in the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita in late September, and fifth of eight in the BC Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup at 1 1/8 miles, Full Serrano was within a half-length of the front to early stretch before fading to finish 7 1/4 lengths behind Skippylongstocking.

Sadler said Full Serrano will have two more workouts before the Oaklawn Mile.

Also at Santa Anita on Friday, the 3-year-olds Greenwich Village and Stark Contrast worked for possible starts in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby at 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park on March 21. Both have won stakes at a mile on turf this year.

Stark Contrast, unraced since an easy win by 2 1/4 lengths in the Eddie Logan Stakes on Jan. 8, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. Trainer Michael McCarthy said a start on dirt is possible for Stark Contrast in coming months.

“We may try the dirt at some point under the right circumstances,” he said.

Greenwich Village, winner of the Baffle Stakes for turf sprinters on Jan. 25 and the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on Feb. 22, worked a half-mile in 49.80 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert.

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