Oral Hayden, who topped the newly licensed trainers last year with 15 winners, saddled his first winner for the 2024 racing season with seven-year-old Cold Pursuit in the opening event on Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Ridden by Phillip Parchment, Cold Pursuit’s victory came in a three-year-old and upward Optional Claiming ($250,000-$200,000) spread that also included six-year-olds and upward (non-winners of three) and native-bred five-year-olds (maidens) going five furlongs straight.

Cold Pursuit was unable to go with the early pacesetters and had to watch from behind the runners as Absolute Blue (Oneil Mullings),
Stanislaus (Oshadane Robinson), Chiney Music (Samantha Fletcher), and Silverstine (Omar Walker) disputed the early fractions.

Crossing the dummy rails and onto the main track for the last two furlongs of the contest, Cold Pursuit came into view and challenged
Absolute Blue and Stanislaus for the lead, with the three horses pulling away from the rest of the field.

Cold Pursuit then surged to the front inside the final furlong, edging away for an easy 7¾-length win. Absolute Blue held on for second as Chiney Music came on for third place. The winning time was 1:02.0 with 23.1 x 47.2.