Universe will be looking to add to his Kentucky Derby credentials, while Rancho Santa Fe, Oscar’s Hope, Strategic Risk, and Sleepingonfreedom will be looking to start establishing theirs when the leading contenders meet in the $250,000 Smarty Jones on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The 1 1/16-mile race is the first of four Kentucky Derby points races this season at the Hot Springs, Ark., track. It is being showcased on an 11-race card that includes the $150,000 Renaissance for 3-year-old sprinters and the $135,000 Commodore. Post time is noon Central. The first five finishers in the Smarty Jones will earn points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1. Universe is the lone horse in the nine-horse field to have some points to his name, ranking fifth on the current list of leaders with 13. He’s placed in three graded stakes, running third in the Grade 1 Champagne and second in both the Grade 3 Street Sense and Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club. Those starts followed Universe’s debut win over seven furlongs at Saratoga. “He has done a lot right,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “He always goes out there and tries awful hard. He’s been kind of a bridesmaid up to now. He obviously has found his way – graded stakes repeatedly – but I’d like to see him show some killer instinct and win.” :: Live racing action at Oaklawn Park! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. McPeek said he’d like Universe to run a big race and continue on the Oaklawn road to the Kentucky Derby in the Rebel and Arkansas Derby. The horse’s ownership group includes the Arkansas-based 4 G Racing, which teamed with McPeek to win the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan. Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode Mystik Dan, was on Universe last out but will be aboard the McPeek-trained Sleepingonfreedom in the Smarty Jones. Joel Rosario has the mount on Universe. “Brian can’t ride all of them for us,” McPeek said. “We decided to shift this horse over to Joel, in this case, because the horse is going to need a regular rider into the spring and Brian is already riding Liberty National.” Universe has shown versatility in his races, and tactics will be at the discretion of Rosario when the pair breaks from the rail, McPeek said. “We’ll leave that up to Joel, wherever he falls comfortably, and we’ll let it unfold on its own,” he said. Sleepingonfreedom will start from post 9 off back-to-back wins. He prevailed in a maiden special weight sprint in his second career start Oct. 11 at Keeneland, then came back and won a first-level allowance route on Nov. 22 at Churchill Downs. “He’s jumped through the last two hoops pretty efficiently,” McPeek said. “His last race was quite a troubled trip, but he won anyway. I think he’s deserving of a lift up in levels, and let’s see if he can take himself to the next level. We’re pretty fond of this horse. Him and Universe are workmates. They’ve been working together, and there’s not much that separates the two, and so I think it’s a good next spot for him as well.” Rancho Santa Fe, trained by Brad Cox, is making his stakes debut after winning his first two starts, a maiden special weight at a mile Aug. 24 at Ellis Park and a first-level allowance route Oct. 11 at Keeneland. The runner-up and third-place finishers from the 1 1/16-mile race last time returned to win conditioned allowances at Churchill and Horseshoe Indianapolis. “I’ve kind of targeted this for a while,” Cox said. “After the Keeneland race, I felt like I just wanted to back up with him a little bit, give him a little time to develop. I feel like he has physically, and based off his last breeze, I think he’s ready to run.” Rancho Santa Fe drilled five furlongs in 1:02 on Dec. 27 at Payson Park. The move was the second fastest of 11 at the distance that morning. “We’ve had him in Florida training,” Cox said. “His last work was really, really good, so I expect him to step up. He’s going to need to. It’s a very good group of horses.” Rancho Santa Fe is a son of Tapit. His dam, Family Tree, won the Grade 2 Indiana Oaks, Grade 3 Iowa Oaks, and the Zia Park Oaks, and she has produced the millionaire route horse Heroic Move. “Obviously, he’s got the pedigree to go a mile and a sixteenth and beyond,” Cox said. “We’re looking forward to getting his 3-year-old season kicked off.” Florent Geroux has the mount from post 5. Strategic Risk was a nine-length winner of the In Reality division of the Florida Sire Stakes in his first main-track route race Nov. 29 at Gulfstream. Javier Castellano was aboard and has the mount from post 7 for trainer Mark Casse. Oscar’s Hope won his two-turn debut last out in the Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs, the same race that Coal Battle captured ahead of his wins in last year’s Smarty Jones and Rebel. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for trainer Tom Amoss. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.