James Thares’ Mad House (Vekoma-Stifled Heiress, by Munnings) edged favorite and fellow OBS graduate Roll On Big Joe by a half-length to win the six-furlong $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park April 11, leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.
Handicap. (Coady Media)
Trained by David VanWinkle, Mad House raised his career earnings to $603,015 following his sixth victory from 12 starts. The son of Vekoma previously won the Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) last September at Parx.
“I do know that when this horse, Mad House, is on the lead, he’s tough to outrun and he made the lead today and made me feel comfortable for a while,” VanWinkle told Oaklawn publicity. “But down the stretch, I was getting nervous. Roll On Big Joe is a very nice horse and Mad House prevailed, so I’m very happy with him.”
Mad House was purchased by his owner at the 2024 OBS April Sale for $47,000 from the Wavertree consignment after breezing in :10 2/5.
At Keeneland April 11, Midway Racing’s Trendsetter (Modernist- Suyapa, by Astrology) swept past dueling leaders and drew off for an upset 2 ¼-length victory in the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3).
Trained by Ben Colebrook, Trendsetter prevailed in his graded stakes debut.
“I wouldn’t say I was surprised. I thought he was going to run good,” Colebrook told Keeneland publicity. “I thought we were going to see some improvement, and if he improved, then he was going to be kind of right there with these horses and get a piece of it.”
Trendsetter was purchased by Davant Latham of Midway Racing for $130,000 at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the Grassroots Training and Sales consignment after breezing in :10 flat.
At Aqueduct April 11, Winning Move Stable, Sanford Robbins, Lady Sheila Stable, Silverwood Stables and IEE Racing’s Hot Currency (Central Banker- Calidez, by Spring At Last) was an easy winner of the $200,000 Fourstar Crook division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.
Trained by Linda Rice, Hot Currency was a $200,000 purchase by Kimmel/Sallusto, Agent for Winning Move Stable at the 2025 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat.
On the same card, Michael Dubb’s Sculcos Folly (Redesdale- Cool Johanna, by Johannesburg) proved much the best with an 8 1/2-length romp in Saturday’s $200,000 Mind Your Biscuits division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series.
Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., the win was the second consecutive stakes triumph for Sculcos Folly following a 5 3/4-length score in the state-bred one-mile Gander on March 7. The son of Redesdale was a $70,000 purchase by Chad Schumer at the 2025 OBS April Sale from the Omar Ramirez Bloodstock consignment after breezing in :10 flat.