Dirty Rich made a commanding impression in the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters on Friday at Oaklawn, showing strength both at the start and finish of the race.
Under jockey Ramon Vasquez, who notched his fourth victory of the day, Dirty Rich finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of the favorite, Boca Beach Club, with Span DMC securing third place another 1 1/4 lengths behind. The race order was completed by Strong Potential, Ganas, Chad Allan, and Walter the Mason.
Starting from post two, Dirty Rich, paying $14.80, quickly took command and maintained his lead throughout. Despite a late challenge from Span DMC, he pulled away to establish a comfortable two-and-a-half-length advantage mid-race and crossed the finish line unthreatened. The horse covered five furlongs in 1:04.11, with splits of 21.89 for the quarter mile and 45.70 for the half mile.
Ramon Vasquez rode for Southern California trainer Peter Miller, who continues to have a significant presence at Oaklawn, and owner Michael McMillan. Previously, Dirty Rich had a less impressive run on grass at Santa Anita but showed promise by winning a maiden race on dirt at Del Mar in July.
Sired by Thousand Words, Dirty Rich’s career earnings now stand at $120,712 after earning his second victory in five starts.
This win marked Vasquez’s third consecutive Advent Stakes victory, having claimed the title in 2023 with Valentine Candy, and also following a win with Kale’s Angel in 2024 alongside trainer Miller.
Friday’s opening day of Oaklawn’s 64-day split season saw an estimated attendance of 15,000 and a total betting handle of $6,903,276.40. Racing continues Saturday from 12:30 p.m. CDT, with the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes as the day’s centerpiece.
Winning jockey Ramon Vasquez stated, “He got out of the gate well. Trainer Peter Miller told me if the horse breaks well, to let him run, and when I asked him to finish strong, he responded perfectly.”
Trainer Peter Miller shared, “Getting a fast start was key given the pace, and our plan to lead from the front worked perfectly. Ramon kept him sharp but didn’t ask too much.”
Fan Take: Dirty Rich’s impressive performance highlights the emergence of fresh talent and the growing excitement in the 2-year-old sprint division, which bodes well for the future of horse racing. For fans, it’s thrilling to witness new stars rise and set the stage for competitive, action-packed seasons ahead.
