Strategic Risk drew clear in early stretch and cruised to a 4 1/2-length score in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3 at Oaklawn Park.

With Saturday's win in the 1/16-mile stakes race for 3-year-olds, Strategic Risk claimed 10 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. Strategic Risk's stablemate Silent Tactic finished second and pocketed five qualifying points.

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The winner and runner-up are owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse. The outcome marks a return to the Kentucky Derby trail at Oaklawn Park for Casse, who saddled Sandman to victory in last year's Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Oxley captured the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Monarchos.

Longshot Scar Ship led the field through a quarter mile in :24.48 and half mile in :49.72 with Strategic Risk tracking in second under jockey Javier Castellano. Strategic Risk then launched a sustained rally into the far turn that would see him seize the lead near the quarter pole and draw clear at the top of the stretch.

The top two finishers were followed home by longshot Baytown Dreamer in third (three points), Sleepingonfreedom in fourth (two points), and Rancho Santa Fe in fifth (one point). Universe, who was favored at 2.30-1 off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs, was last away and never factored when finishing seventh of eight.

The victory saw Strategic Risk earn his first stakes win against open company after closing his juvenile season with an eye-catching nine-length score over other Florida-breds in the $300,000 FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes Nov. 29 at Gulfstream Park. With Saturday's win, the son of Noble Bird secured his second win in as many starts at two turns on dirt.