Oxbow's second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes in June made him the third horse that year to reach $1 million in purse wins.

Following the Belmont, he was ranked the top three-year-old racehorse in the United States by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA).

He was pulled up shortly after finishing fourth in the Haskell Invitational, and was found to have suffered a soft tissue injury, was taken out of competition for the remainder of his three-year-old season, and retired in October 2013.

[10] As a yearling, Oxbow was sent to the Keeneland sales, where he was purchased for $250,000 by bloodstock agent Eddie Kane,[5] acting on behalf of Brad M. Kelley's Bluegrass Hall.

[14] Although officially registered with The Jockey Club as a bay, Oxbow has white hairs scattered throughout his coat, therefore his trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, describes him as a roan.

At 17–1 under jockey Terry Thompson, Oxbow came out of the gate ninth, but as in his previous race, had the lead by the quarter-mile post.

He started from the far outside at the tenth post position and broke from the gate in seventh but jumped out to the lead within a few strides and led going into the turn by a half length.

[22] After Oxbow's maiden win, he was flown to Hollywood Park in California to run in the Grade I CashCall Futurity at a mile and one-sixteenth (1,700 m) on a synthetic surface.

[22] Oxbow finished fourth, nine lengths back,[25] but earned his first Road to the Kentucky Derby point,[26] and a speed figure of 87.

[22] Oxbow was moved with the rest of Lukas' horses to winter headquarters at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

[27] He started his Triple Crown prep season on January 19, 2013, with a win at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans in the mile and 70-yard (1,672 m) Grade III Lecomte Stakes.

Horses he beat that day included Golden Soul, who later placed second in the Kentucky Derby, and I've Struck a Nerve, who Oxbow faced again later in the Risen Star Stakes.

[26] Three weeks later, Lukas entered Oxbow in Oaklawn Park's key preparatory race for the Arkansas Derby, the Grade II Rebel Stakes.

[26] After the Rebel Stakes, Oxbow was ranked as one of the top ten horses in some Triple Crown pre-race polls,[34][35] and secured eligibility to run in the Derby with 36 points.

[36] Four weeks after the Rebel, Oxbow entered his last preparatory race before the Triple Crown campaign, the Grade I Arkansas Derby, held on April 13.

[38] After running last at one point in the race, Oxbow improved his position and finished fifth, less than a length behind second-place Frac Daddy.

He broke fifth and was soon close to leader Palace Malice, who ran the second fastest initial quarter- and half-miles in Derby history, a pace described as "suicidal".

[47] Oxbow maintained his position near the front, and at the top of the homestretch passed the tired-out speed horses to lead the race for a sixteenth of a mile.

"[51] Oxbow drew a favorable spot in the gate at post position six,[52] his first good draw since his win in the Lecomte,[6] and kept the same rider for three straight races for the first time in his career.

At the start of the race, Will Take Charge veered in and brushed Oxbow, who broke third but took the lead within a few strides and soon led by one and a half lengths.

Despite the modest pace, what one sportswriter called "lullaby fractions",[30] described by Stevens as "just walking the dog",[30] the colt was one and a half lengths in front at the three-quarter-mile mark.

[66] There were concerns about Stevens' fitness as he had missed races after being thrown from a horse the previous week, but medical tests showed no sign of injury.

[70] In the race Oxbow broke third out of the gate and settled behind pacesetters Frac Daddy and Freedom Child, completing a quarter mile in 23 seconds.

[81] Lukas then shipped Oxbow to Saratoga to prepare him to run in the Grade I, $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 28, 2013, with sportswriters hoping to see him meet up again with Orb and Palace Malice in the Travers Stakes later in the summer.

[83] Oxbow drew post position five for the Haskell, carried the highest weight at 122 pounds, and was the second favorite in the race behind Verrazano.

"[3] Nonetheless, as a result of the soft tissue injury, Oxbow was taken out of races for the duration of the summer,[87] and after three weeks of hand-walking at Saratoga was shipped home to Calumet in mid-August,[88] with an announcement that he was not anticipated to run again in 2013.

[91] For the 2015 season he moves to Calumet Farms, where he joins seven other stallions, including English Channel, who sired 2014 Travers Stakes winner V.E.

[93] Oxbow's first winner was the filly Delaphene, out of the Empire Maker mare Boustierre who won a maiden race at Arlington Park on July 16, 2017.

[8] Tizamazing is a full sister to Tiznow, who was 2000 American Horse of the Year and won the Breeders' Cup Classic twice.

[4] Media related to Oxbow (horse) at Wikimedia Commons Legend – ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly