Prat has big day as Tejano Twist wins King Cotton, Kinetic takes General MacArthur

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The newly minted Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat won four of the first six races Saturday at Oaklawn Park, including the $150,000 King Cotton with Tejano Twist and the $145,000 General MacArthur overnight stakes with Kinetic.

The races were part of a card of four stakes and two overnight stakes highlighted by the Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes.

Prat won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey of 2024 on Thursday night.

Tejano Twist ($3) trailed for much of the King Cotton, a six-furlong race for 4-year-olds and up that was scratched down to four horses with the defections of Durante and Miles Ahead.

Tejano Twist lagged behind as Edge to Edge and Gulfport dueled through fractions of 22.29 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.24 for the half-mile. Tejano Twist picked up the pace on the turn, came five wide into the stretch, and barreled home for a half-length win over Happy Is a Choice. Tejano Twist covered the distance on a fast track in 1:10.82.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

“I was a little bit worried that the pace was going to be soft and they would kind of sprint away from me,” Prat told publicity at Oaklawn. “That’s just the way he likes to run.

“I think the four-horse field probably helped him, too. He likes to come from behind, but as soon as I asked him to make a run he came with a lot of momentum and got the job done from there.”

Chris Hartman trains Tejano Twist, who won his sixth career stakes race to push his earnings to $1,559,717. Tejano Twist is a son of Practical Joke who races for JD Thoroughbreds and Joey Davis.

General MacArthur

Kinetic ($3) improved his record at 1 1/8 miles to 3 for 3 on Saturday when he fought for a three-quarter-length win over Sir Greylind in the General MacArthur.

Kinetic, who entered the race off a runner-up finish to Saudi Crown in the Tenacious at Fair Grounds, stalked the pace in second, moved to the fore in the stretch, and covered the distance in 1:52.57.

Prat was aboard for trainer Brad Cox, who won three of the first six races on the card Saturday.

Kinetic is a son of Street Sense who races for his breeder, Godolphin.

Prat and Cox also teamed to win the second race, a maiden special weight, with Rapture ($3.80), and the fourth race, an allowance, with Bishops Bay ($3).

Fifth Season

The Wine Steward ran a big race in his first start since last year’s Belmont Stakes, when he was prominent throughout for a neck victory over Patriot Spirit in the $150,000 Fifth Season.

It was another 2 3/4 lengths back in third to favorite Liberal Arts.

The Fifth Season was a mile race for 4-year-olds and up and ended at the sixteenth pole.

The Wine Steward ($8.20) tracked Patriot Spirit through fractions of 23.86 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.08 for the half-mile and 1:12.77 for six furlongs. The Wine Steward took the lead in the stretch and covered the distance on a fast track in 1:38.98.

Juan Hernandez was aboard for trainer Mike Maker.

The Wine Steward was ninth in the Belmont Stakes following three runner-up finishes in graded stakes races, the Breeders’ Futurity in 2023 and the Lexington and Peter Pan in 2024.

The Wine Steward, who is a son of Vino Rosso, won the third stakes race of his career. He races for Paradise Farms and David Staudacher.

*Lady Moscato ($15.60) was a three-length winner over Silver Rose in the $145,000 Bugler, an overnight stakes for fillies and mares. The winner covered six furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.62. Keith Asmussen was aboard for BC Stables and trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Lady Moscato is a daughter of Quality Road.

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