Having just broken her maiden over course and distance in her fifth try last out Dec. 27, Search Party stepped right up Friday to win the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park, earning herself 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
Clearly comfortable on the Oaklawn surface as she debuted a winner on it in that late December route, the 4-1 shot had shown versatility in prior starts at both Churchill Downs and Ellis Park, only missing the board once when sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at first asking July 14.
Now facing winners in stakes company, the Tracy Farmer homebred was outfooted early by Knickleanddime and Maximum Offer (Maxfield) to her inside and opted to take back and race in that pair's slipstream from against the rail. Saving ground through fractions of :23.10 and :47.83, Search Party had her work cut out for her into the far turn as she stayed stuck down on the fence with plenty of energy but nowhere to run. Jockey Cristian Torres was able to angle her out at the eighth pole and Search Party put in a furious late charge to the wire, leading in a calvary charge of rivals in a furious final sixteenth. Race favorite Counting Stars (Honor A.P.) was eased in the far turn and walked off under her own power.
“Great filly,” said Torres. “She's very versatile. She can run on the pace, stalk. Great filly to ride. She responded today. She showed up. I knew I had a ton of horse underneath me. I was just waiting for the hole to open up (turning for home). As soon as it opened up, I asked her and she responded.”
Winning trainer Mark Casse added, “This one is special. The first horse I ever bought for Tracy Farmer was her mother (Search Party's dam is Devious Charm). This is special. The Farmers have been such great supporters of ours and she showed a lot of heart today. That (Kentucky Oaks) would be nice. Last year we had La Cara go to the Oaks. The Farmers, they're just great people. So, we'll see. But I don't see her leaving here.”
The 54th stakes winner for Gun Runner, Search Party is out of a stakes-placed first dam who sold to Farmer for $260,000 as a yearling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale. This is the family of dual Canadian champion Northernette (Northern Dancer). Devious Charm, whose first foal was the winning Munnings colt Art Fair, has since produced a 2-year-old Tapit filly and a yearling full-sister to that son of Munnings. She is due this season to Blazing Sevens.
MARTHA WASHINGTON S., $300,000, Oaklawn, 2-6, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.56, ft.
1–SEARCH PARTY, 117, f, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Devious Charm (SP, $178,361),
by Into Mischief
2nd Dam: Limbo, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Northernette, by Northern Dancer
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Tracy Farmer (KY); T-Mark E. Casse;
J-Cristian A. Torres. $167,400. Lifetime Record: 6-2-1-2,
$276,211.
2–Newtown Pike, 117, f, 3, McKinzie–Newellton, by Trappe
Shot. ($75,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '25 EASMAY).
O-Choctaw Racing Stable; B-Curt Leake & Elm Tree Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Lindsay Schultz. $55,800.
3–Knickleandime, 117, f, 3, Knicks Go–She's Trouble, by Into
Mischief. ($15,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT). O-Richard Bahde; B-Daniel
Mallory & Torie Gladwell (KY); T-Randy L. Morse. $27,900.
Margins: NK, HF, NK. Odds: 4.10, 27.90, 19.20.
Also Ran: Maximum Offer, Hit Parade, Spitfire, Grace Is Free, Counting Stars. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
20 Kentucky Oaks points goes to SEARCH PARTY in the Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park! 🎉🌸
The 3YO filly had a ground saving trip before fighting her way to the front under @cristiantorr64 for trainer @markecasse!
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/NfZBwgyT3M
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 6, 2026
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