Compiled by Robert Yates

$150,000 Advent Stakes is Friday’s Feature at Oaklawn Park

Spun D M C is the 5-2 program favorite for the 5 ½-furlong $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-olds on Friday at Oaklawn.

The Advent headlines Oaklawn’s 2025-2026 opening-day 10-race program. Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. CDT, with probable post time for the Advent, the eighth race, at 3:52 p.m. The Advent is the first of an Oaklawn-record 62 stakes races during the 64-day split season that ends May 2.

Spun D M C will be making his third start for co-owner/trainer Randy Morse, who campaigns the son of 2019 G1-Breeders Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run with Chicago-area owner Ollie Besinger (UPcountry Farm).

Spun D M C was a sharp debut winner Sept. 12 at Churchill Downs, covering six furlongs in 1:09.76. Favored at 6-5 in his next start, the six-furlong Bowman Mill Stakes Oct. 25 at Keeneland, Spun D M C was overhauled by Gallivant in the upper stretch and finished second, beaten six lengths.

Morse has named Luis Saez to ride Spun D M C, who is scheduled to break from post 6 in the projected seven-horse Advent field.

“I like his draw,” Morse said. “He drew good outside. His last race at Keeneland, when we shipped in over there, we shipped the morning of the race. He got really worked up in the barn we shipped him into. That wasn’t him – let’s put it that way. He’s better than he ran last time.”

Morse purchased Spun D M C for $95,000 in May’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in training sale. Morse has also trained for Besinger’s father, Greg Besinger, a collaboration highlighted by Summer Note, who dead-heated with More Than Ready in the G2Hutchinson Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters in 2000 at Gulfstream Park.

The Advent also drew Walter the Mason, Dirty Rich, Chad Allan, Boca Beach Club, Ganaas and Strong Potential.

Ganaas, the early 7-2 third choice, is trained by Kentucky-based Andrew McKeever, who has had only one career Oaklawn starter. Ganaas is unbeaten in two sprint starts, breaking his maiden in his July 10 debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis and clearing his first allowance condition Sept. 12 at Churchill Downs.

A homebred son of War Front for famed Shadwell Stable, Ganaas exits a fifth-place finish in the G3-Street Sense Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 26 at Churchill Downs.

Boca Beach Club (3-1) is unbeaten in one start for trainer Jimmy DiVito. Strong Potential, also unbeaten in one start, will try to give his Hall of Fame trainer, Steve Asmussen, a record-extending 124^th career Oaklawn stakes victory.

Asmussen won the 2023 Advent with Valentine Candy. Dirty Rich is trained by Southern California-based Peter Miller, who teamed with jockey Ramon Vazquez to win last year’s Advent with Kale’s Angel. Vazquez also won the Advent on Valentine Candy.

The Advent debuted in 2021.