From the Oaklawn Park Media Team / Robert Yates:

OP Stakes Race Preview – $150,000 Ozark Stakes – Monday, Feb. 16

Unbeaten Grade 2 winner Ewing is Triple Crown nominated, but dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said he isn’t looking toward May at Churchill Downs or Pimlico or June at Saratoga. At the moment, it’s all about February at Oaklawn.

“Right now, we’re just going to try this one and we’ll go from there,” Casse said.

Casse was referring to Monday’s $150,000 Ozark Stakes for 3-year-olds, which will mark Ewing’s 2026 debut. The Ozark headlines a special 11-race Presidents’ Day program that begins at 12:30 p.m. CST. Probable post time for the six-furlong Ozark, the ninth race, is 4:42 p.m.

Ewing, owned by D. J. Stable (Jon and Leonard Green), West Point Thoroughbreds and Kenneth Freirich, is the 6-5 program favorite for the Ozark, which drew a field of nine.

Ewing broke his maiden by 12 lengths at 5 ½ furlongs July 5 at Saratoga, then then won its Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 2. Ewing edged favored Obliteration by a length in the Saratoga Special. Obliteration returned to win the six-furlong $150,000 Renaissance Stakes Jan. 3 at Oaklawn.

Ewing was scheduled to make his two-turn debut in the Breeders’ Futurity Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland, but he was scratched because of a “minor injury,” Casse said.

Casse, in November, was eyeing a January allowance sprint for Ewing’s comeback, adding that could be an audition for a Kentucky Derby points race in his next start. Casse, however, opted not to rush Ewing into a two-turn event. The gray colt has led at every point of call in his two starts.

“He’s fast,” Casse said. “He’s a beautiful mover. He’s got to learn to relax, though.”

Ewing returned to the work tab Dec. 17 at Casse’s training center in Ocala, Fla. Ewing has five published workouts at Oaklawn since Dec. 28, the last a five-furlong move in 1:01.60 Feb. 6.

Oaklawn lost nine consecutive days of training (Jan. 24-Feb. 1) to a winter storm late last month, but Casse said he doesn’t believe that will impact Ewing’s performance Monday.

“We were kind of ahead of schedule, so we’re good,” Casse said.

Two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres has the call on Ewing, who is scheduled to break from post 8.

From the first crop of 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go, Ewing was purchased for $585,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in training. Dirty Rich, Tiz Mary’s Comet, Gnome, Swung, My Dream Zapper, Extract’s Arrow, Chad Allan and Oscar’s Hope complete the field.

Oscar’s Hope (5-2) cuts back to a sprint after finishing eighth in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 1/16 Jan. 3 at Oaklawn for trainer Tom Amoss. Dirty Rich (8-1) won the $150,000 Advent Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs Dec. 12 at Oaklawn for trainer Peter Miller. Dirty Rich exits a distant third behind Obliteration in the Renaissance.