Haulin Ice seeks millionaire status in Downthedustyroad

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Haulin Ice can become the first Arkansas-bred to reach millionaire status on Friday, when the South Florida-based runner returns to her home state to defend her title in the $150,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders’ Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The six-furlong race is for fillies and mares bred in Arkansas. The field of nine includes Hush It Honey, who is coming off a pair of dominant wins against open company, and Caliente Star, who won last year’s Rainbow Miss at Oaklawn.

But they both will have to beat Haulin Ice. The multiple Grade 3 winner ranks as the all-time leading Arkansas-bred earner with a bankroll of $998,250.

“She’s close to it,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said of reaching the million-dollar level. “Hopefully she can get past that mark this week. That would be a nice milestone to get. She’d always be the first ever.”

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The Downthedustyroad is the start of a significant few months in Arkansas for Haulin Ice. She will take home her second consecutive trophy as Arkansas-bred of the Year on April 3 during the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders and Horsemen’s Association banquet. She earned $550,900 last year to top all Arkansas-breds in 2025 earnings, according to statistics provided by the ATBHA.

There also is an additional stakes opportunity for Haulin Ice at Oaklawn beyond the Downthedustyroad.

“If everything goes well, we’ll kind of follow the same path as last year and the Matron would be next,” Joseph said of the $250,000 sprint stakes for open company on March 27 that Haulin Ice won last year.

In her more recent starts, Haulin Ice was second by a neck to Moon Spun in the Abundantia Stakes at five furlongs on turf Dec. 27 at Gulfstream Park. It was the first start on the grass for Haulin Ice, a daughter of Coal Front who was bred by Eugenia Thompson-Benight. She is owned by C2 Racing Stable and new partners WSS Racing and Agave Racing Stable.

“The ownership always wanted to try her on the grass,” Joseph said Monday. “She was supposed to run in an allowance at Oaklawn, but it didn’t fill, so after that it was the right timing to try the grass. She ran really good.

“The filly that beat her came back to win impressively again, ran a 99 Beyer [Speed Figure], so she ran into a good grass filly and she definitely showed she handled the grass. It’s something down the future that we’re probably going to run on the grass again, but as of right now, we know she loves Oaklawn. It’s home and hopefully she has a good campaign there again this year.”

Francisco Arrieta has the mount from post 8. He was aboard for both of her local starts in 2025.

Haulin Ice’s win in last year’s Downthedustyroad was the start of a streak of four consecutive victories. She proceeded to take the Matron, the Grade 3 Vagrancy at Aqueduct, and the Musical Romance at Gulfstream. Her other career graded stakes win came in the Princess Rooney in September at Gulfstream.

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