$150,000 King Cotton Stakes
At 0h04, on February 8, 2026 • By Robert Yates, Oaklawn Park
A field of nine, headed by 7-5 program favorite Roll On Big Joe, is entered in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes for older horses at six furlongs Sunday at Oaklawn.
Probable post time for the King Cotton, the eighth of 10 races, is 4:27 p.m. Racing begins at 1:00 p.m.
The King Cotton was originally scheduled to be run Feb. 1, but Oaklawn moved its Jan. 30, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 programs to this week following a winter storm late last month that closed the track for training for nine days.
Trained by Bob Hess Jr., Roll On Big Joe will be making his 2026 debut after completing a stellar 2025 campaign with a victory in the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes at sixfurlongs Dec. 13 at Oaklawn. The 6-year-old gelding won six of nine starts last year, including the Palos Verdes Stakes (G3) in February at Santa Anita, Kelly’s Landing Stakes (G3) in June at Churchill Downs and the Bet On Sunshine Stakes Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs.
Roll On Big Joe, a son of Prospective, has bankrolled $751,925 off a 9-6-1 record from 22 lifetime starts. Southern California-based owner Tim Cohen (Rancho Temescal) purchased Roll On Big Joe for $90,000 at the 2022 OBS June Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.
“He’s a pretty cool horse,” Hess said. “Excuses are losers, but he did have a few legitimate excuses for getting beat a couple of times that weren’t really apparent. But I think I’m learning as we go along and I think he’ll be better for it.”
Julien Leparoux has the return call on Roll On Big Joe from post 5. Lips Say Bliss, Gold Sweep, Wendelssohn, Bourbon Bash, Tejano Twist, Frost Free, Tough Catch and Durante complete the lineup.
Bourbon Bash, the early 3-1 second choice, returned from a lengthy layoff to capture the six-furlong $135,000 Commodore Overnight Stakes for older horses Jan. 3 at Oaklawn. The 6-year-old gelding was making his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen after previously being with Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas before his death in June.
“He’s a horse that’s run extremely fast races here in the past,” Asmussen said. “Brian Coelho and John Bellinger, who own him, obviously did the right thing with him. Gave him plenty of time and he came back in training super. Good time for him to be in training here at Oaklawn, where he runs well and the purses are great.”
Millionaire late runner Tejano Twist won the 2025 King Cotton for trainer Chris Hartman, who also sends out Wendelssohn. Tejano Twist ran third behind Roll On Big Joe in the Ring the Bell. Wendelssohn was a powerful eight-length winner of the $145,000 Eclipse Overnight Stakes for older horses at six furlongs last March at Oaklawn.
The King Cotton is a major local prep for the six-furlong $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) for older horses April 11.
