HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Haulin Ice once again brought her ‘A’ game to Arkansas on Friday, shuttling to a 1 3/4-length win over Foie Gras in the $250,000 Matron Stakes at Oaklawn Park. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third to Evanescence. The Matron was one of two stakes on a card that included the Grade 2, $1 million Fantasy, which was won by Counting Stars. The races are part of the annual Racing Festival of the South, when Oaklawn puts on a series of major stakes races over the final stretch of the meet that runs through May 2. Based in South Florida, Haulin Ice ($3.20) is now 8 for 10 at Oaklawn. The Arkansas-bred won the Matron, an open-company sprint for older fillies and mares, for the second year in a row. Haulin Ice pushed pacesetter Asternia through an opening quarter-mile in 22.20 seconds and worked her way past that one on the turn while covering a half-mile in 45.54 seconds. Haulin Ice was in command through the lane while covering six furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.94. Francisco Arrieta was aboard for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. :: Live racing action at Oaklawn Park! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “I was very close to the lead outside,” Arrieta said in a statement distributed by Oaklawn. “I didn’t take anything away from her. I just put my hands down and let her run a little bit. I knew I was in open company and had some decent fillies with me. I had to go for it. Passing the three-eighths pole, I started going forward, going forward. When she switched leads, I went with her. They planned to go with her or stay behind. I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy to be loose on the lead and go gate-to-wire.” Two races later, Arrieta won the Fantasy. Haulin Ice’s win was timely, as she will be honored as the Arkansas-bred of the year during an April 3 banquet put on by the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association. She first won the honor for her 2024 campaign and this year will earn the hardware for her 2025 campaign. Haulin Ice became the first Arkansas-bred to go over $1 million in earnings when she shipped in and won the Downthedustyroad Stakes on Feb. 20 of this year at Oaklawn. Joseph said plans are to give Haulin Ice another opportunity on turf after she ran a promising second in her first start on the grass under less-than-ideal conditions. If she performs to expectations, Joseph said she could target turf races over the summer. Haulin Ice is a daughter of Coal Front who was bred by Eugenia Thompson-Benight. She races for C2 Racing Stable, WSS Racing, and Agave Racing Stable. Haulin Ice is now 12 for 21 in her career for earnings of $1,227,750. She is an eight-time stakes winner. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.