From Oaklawn Publicity
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Mar. 7, 2026) – California-bred champion Majestic Oops upset odds-on Eclipse champion Nitrogen while winning Saturday’s $400,000 Grade II Azeri Stakes for fillies and mares at Oaklawn Park, her first graded victory.
Majestic Oops is by Majestic Harbor, out of the Olmodavor mare Miss Oops, was bred by William and Sandy Dory and Gary and Janet Kropp, is owned by Medallion Racing (Phillip Shelton), Evan Trommer, Agave Racing Stable (Mark Martinez) and Sheila Regan and trained by Dan Ward, who is scheduled for hip replacement surgery next month.
“She broke on top and he (jockey Francisco Arrieta) just sat on her and got her to relax,” said Ward. “That’s the key right there. Watch how she breaks? She outbreaks the field, but he knows what to do. That’s why she finishes like that. You get can get her to finish when you get her to settle like that. The two races that she won here last year, it was the same thing.”
The Cal-bred champion older female in 2025 has nine wins in 35 starts and earnings of $952,309.
Sent off at odds of 9-1, Majestic Oops swept outside the field turning for home and gradually edged away in late stretch to score by three-quarters of a length over Regaled, with 1-5 Nitrogen fading to third. She ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.36 on a sloppy, sealed track.
“Nice filly. I’m just impressed,” said Arrieta. “She’s so small and skinny. She’s got more heart than anything else. She broke sharp. I knew there were two speed horses in the race, the 6 and 7 (La Cara and Standoutsensation). I just took a little hold, sat and tried to give her a nice, easy trip.
“I saw the 2 (Nitrogen) was outside in the perfect spot. She was going easy, so I decided to go around and attack early. When I got to her, she just continued going. She’s got a turn of foot. After the three-eighths pole, I let her go and she kept going. She held it.”
Majestic Oops was returning to two turns after launching her 2026 campaign with a sharp 3 ¼-length victory in the six-furlong $150,000 American Beauty Stakes for older fillies and mares Feb. 13.
Ward, a former assistant under Hall of Fame trainers Bobby Frankel and Jerry Hollendorfer, was originally targeting the six-furlong $250,000 Matron Stakes March 27 for Majestic Oops. But co-owner Mark Martinez (Agave Racing Stable) also has an interest in Arkansas-bred star and Matron-bound Haulin Ice and was seeking a graded stakes victory to boost Majestic Oops’ broodmare value, Ward said.
Majestic Oops is a four-time Oaklawn winner. Three victories have been around two turns, including the one-mile $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes last April. Majestic Oops ran ninth and Nitrogen was second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
The Azeri was the final major local prep for the $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 11.