Angel of Arkansas: 'Empire' Strikes in Arkansas Derby

Albaugh Family Stables LLC’s Angel of Empire (Classic Empire – Armony’s Angel by To Honor and Serve) capped a big day for trainer Brad Cox as he provided his trainer with his second straight victory in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) and his third stakes win of the day. Before an on-track crowd of 65,000, Cox also won the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes with Eyeing Clover and the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes with Wet Paint.

With jockey Flavien Prat in the saddle, the fast-improving Angel of Empire was unhurried early and raced in seventh place while Two Eagles River set the pace of :23 1/5 and :47 1/5 for the first half mile. The winner was still sixth after three-quarters of a mile, but moved quickly to first entering the stretch and drew off impressively to win by 4 ¼ lengths over longshot King Russell. Reincarnate, the 3-1 second choice, was third with 5-2 favorite Rocket Can fourth.

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Angel of Empire, who began the year with a second in Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones Stakes and was coming off a win in Fair Ground’s Risen Star Stakes (G3), earned 100 points for the win and is now second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 154 total points. King Russell earned 40 points and currently sits 17th .Reincarnate has 45 total points and is currently 13 th and Rocket Can has 60 points to rank seventh. Only the top 20 point earners get to start in the Kentucky Derby.

Angel of Empire, a son of 2017 Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire, has now won four of six starts and earned $1,069,375. He returned to $11.40, $5.80 and $4.40.

The colt was a $32,000 buy-back from the 2009 Keeneland November sale as a weanling and a $70,000 yearling purchase from the 2021 Keeneland September sale.

Stakes Quotes:

Jason Loutsch, racing manager, co-owner of Albaugh Family Stables and son-in-law of stable principal Dennis Albaugh: “it’s just really gratifying when you can win a Grade 1, especially the Arkansas Derby. This is a race we’ve been pointing at a long time and to win it is really special.”

(what kind of confidence will you have going into Louisville) “After seeing that race, I’ve got a lot of confidence. This is a horse I’ve been saying since day 1 wants to get the distance. He showed that twice at a mile and an eighth. He just keeps running. I thought he ran a great race today, and I’m excited for the First Saturday in May.”

(Albaugh Family Stables also finished third Saturday in the Florida Derby with Cyclone Mischief and third in last week’s Louisiana Derby with Jace’s Road). “To have three potential starters in the Kentucky Derby is a dream come true. I just can’t hardly believe it. I’m so thankful for my father in law, that he believed in us and got us to this point.”

Brad Cox (winning trainer, Angel of Empire):

“It’s huge. Big day. Very impressed with this horse, how he ran today. He came home quick, and he’s a horse that the the longer the better. Looking forward to getting him to the Kentucky Derby in five weeks.”

(on progression) “Age. Just developing. The older he’s getting the better he’s getting, bottom line. I think he really took to six week’s between races. He ran well here to start the year. He showed that he was going to want more ground…. Out of the Risen Star, I thought he was just maybe a little tucked up, a little tired. He’s come around over the last three, four weeks. Now he’s back in top form and very happy how he looked physically leading up to this.”

“It was a good group of horses. I didn’t think there was a standout or a leader — obviously Forte is the leader of the division – (but) I felt it was a nice open race that anybody good step up and win it. And he stepped up. He was very impressive today. I always thought he’d be better with more ground and obviously he’s 2 for 2 at a mile and an eighth. Hopefully we can be 1 for 1 at a mile and a quarter in five weeks.”