After a restrained second-place finish in his inaugural dirt outing at the Smarty Jones Stakes on January 3, Silent Tactic emphatically staked his claim for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve with a powerful, progressively widening triumph in the $1 million Southwest Stakes held on February 6 at Oaklawn Park.
Despite being less heralded than several other contenders in the 1 1/16-mile event — including his stablemate Strategic Risk, also trained by Mark Casse and owned by John Oxley, who had bested him in the Smarty Jones — Silent Tactic delivered a commanding performance in the Southwest, surging past nine rivals in the stretch and appearing to be a horse perfectly suited for the demanding 1 1/4-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby.
Steering wide into the homestretch on Friday under jockey Cristian Torres, he concluded with immense drive, seizing the lead inside the sixteenth pole en route to a 3 1/4-length win over Soldier N Diplomat, who had briefly taken command mid-stretch after tracking the early pace.
The John Oxley-owned Silent Tactic, whose victory marked the first stakes win for the progeny of second-crop sire Tacitus, completed the 1 1/16 miles in a time of 1:44.85. He returned $26 for a win bet.
Torres marked the occasion by standing high in his stirrups as Silent Tactic crossed the finish line.
“I anticipated a strong pace in the race, so I wasn’t concerned about my position early on,” Torres stated during an internal interview. “I simply broke from the gate, let him find his stride where he was comfortable, and he responded when I asked him at the quarter pole. He truly delivered.”
Buetane, the Southern California shipper under Bob Baffert’s guidance, pursued the front-running D’code, the 2.30-1 favorite, through quarter-mile splits of :23.52, :47.52, and 1:12.81, ultimately securing third place, with Rancho Santa Fe finishing fourth.
In a disappointing turn for owners Oxley and trainer Casse, Strategic Risk faltered, dropping back to 10th after being urged hard on the second turn.
The Southwest Stakes, which represented the most lucrative race thus far on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby, awarded qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to its top five finishers, provided they were nominated to the Triple Crown. Management at Churchill Downs, the venue for the May 2 Kentucky Derby, utilizes these qualifying points to generate interest in the race and as a tie-breaking system should the initial leg of the Triple Crown attract more than its maximum capacity of 20 starters.
Silent Tactic now holds the leading position on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 25 points, a tally that includes 5 points accrued from his performance in the Smarty Jones.
The Southwest Stakes, originally scheduled for January 31, was rescheduled due to prolonged subfreezing temperatures in Arkansas, which rendered the dirt track unraceable for over a week. Conditions improved considerably for Friday’s running, with temperatures reaching the 70s.
Casse hypothesized that the interruption in training might have adversely affected Strategic Risk, noting that such delays can have varying impacts on different horses.
“I question if it impacted him somewhat, but it certainly seemed to benefit Silent Tactic significantly,” he remarked to FOX Sports.
Silent Tactic, acquired last year for $500,000 by bloodstock agent Justin Casse from the Thorostock consignment at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, was bred in Kentucky from the Gun Runner mare Magical Sign. His win in the Southwest marked his second career victory, following his debut score on October 10 as a 2-year-old at Woodbine on its all-weather Tapeta course. He subsequently finished second in the Grey Stakes on November 2 there, prior to his runner-up effort in the Smarty Jones.
His victory in the Southwest earned him $495,000, elevating his total career prize money to $594,422.
Tacitus, who captured the Wood Memorial Stakes in 2019 before continuing that year to place third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont Stakes, stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Central Kentucky for a fee of $5,000.
Three past participants of the Southwest have gone on to claim victory in the Derby: Lil E. Tee (1992), Smarty Jones (2004), and Mystik Dan (2024). Smarty Jones and Mystik Dan both won the Southwest before their Derby triumphs, whereas Lil E. Tee finished third in the Southwest.
Casse did not immediately confirm Silent Tactic’s participation in the March 1 $1 million Rebel Stakes, which is the subsequent event in Oaklawn’s series of stakes for 3-year-olds. That 1 1/16-mile contest precedes the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles on March 28.
“We will determine the next steps, but we intend to remain at Oaklawn,” he affirmed.
Search Party Secures Opening, Captures Martha Washington
Earlier on Friday at Oaklawn, Casse and Torres celebrated another significant stakes victory when Tracy Farmer’s Search Party navigated through traffic on the second turn before accelerating to narrowly defeat the closing Newtown Pike by a neck in the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The winning Gun Runner filly, who maintained an inside stalking position in third for the first half-mile before being momentarily boxed in fifth on the second turn, angled out three wide to find a clear path in the stretch, completing 1 1/16 miles in a time of 1:45.56.
She contributed to a successful day for the Hall of Fame trainer, who recorded four winners on the card and is enjoying an exceptionally productive meet at Oaklawn Park.
