First Look: Ky. Derby qualifier at Oaklawn is 1 of 5 key stakes
It must be a deep field when eight-time winner Bob Baffert has
a starter but does not have the headliner among the 14 horses entered in the
Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.
The $1.25 million race is a virtual win-and-you’re-in for
Kentucky Derby 2025. It attracted five stakes winners, including Speed King from
the Southwest (G3), Coal Battle via the Smarty Jones, Bullard from the Bob
Hope (G3), Tiztastic out of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile and Smoken Wicked from
the Louisiana Futurity.
Maiden winner Madaket Road represents Baffert, who most
famously used the Rebel as a proving ground for American Pharoah en route to
the Triple Crown 10 years ago.
The Rebel is one of the two Derby preps this week, the other
being the John Battaglia Memorial on Saturday night at Turfway Park. There also
are two points races in the U.S. on the road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Throw
in the Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses, and there are five key stakes
in the coming days.
Friday
Cincinnati Trophy, Oaklawn, 1 mile, synthetic, 3-year-old
fillies, Kentucky Oaks 20-10-6-4-2 points race
It has been 3 1/2 months since Somethinabouther had her
stakes breakthrough, scoring at 15-1 last out in the Mazarine (G3) at Woodbine.
After a maiden win and two stakes losses on turf, that was the $210,000
Mendelssohn filly’s first try on Tapeta for trainer Brendan Walsh. Six others
in the full field also are grass converts. They include Presha, a $390,000
daughter of Omaha Beach. She was a maiden winner on dirt who finished a close third
on turf last out Nov. 17 in the Tepin Stakes at Aqueduct.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Tiger Division Omaha Beach |
0.00 | Rusty Arnold Corey Lanerie |
Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Just Ruthless Justify |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Bracelet Authentic |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
White Rocks Frosted |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
She’s All Charm More Than Ready |
5.84 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Somethinabouther Mendelssohn |
6.34 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Pure Majestic Tapit |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Girl Math McKinzie |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 9 |
|
Salt Tapit |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 10 |
|
Admit Blame |
5.79 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 11 |
|
Presha Omaha Beach |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 12 |
|
Foxtastic Speightstown |
6.12 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 13 |
|
Wondrous Uncle Mo |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
Saturday
Rebel (G2), Oaklawn, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, Kentucky
Derby 50-25-15-10-5 points race
Speed King, Sandman and Tiztastic, who finished 1-2-3 last
month in the Southwest, will be asked to cover the same course and distance
Saturday in the Rebel. Speed King led from gate to wire in the Southwest.
Sandman closed from the back of the pack to miss winning by only one length.
Tiztastic, a two-time winner on turf, has yet to win on dirt but has not
finished out of the top three, either. Coal Battle, who beat Speed King by a
half-length in the Remington Springboard Mile, steps up to graded company for
the first time while carrying a three-stakes winning streak into the Rebel.
There is a caveat for handicappers working early. Speed King’s co-owner Ted
Bowman said his colt could wait for the Arkansas Derby (G1) on March 29. “If
everything just goes good, the plan is to run,” Bowman told the Oaklawn media
department. “Things change, weather and then training. A lot of those shippers,
I don’t know when they’re planning on coming in. It’s probably a little later
in the week.” The best advice now? Have a digital eraser ready.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Coal Battle Coal Front |
6.48 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Admiral Dennis Constitution |
6.05 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Sandman Tapit |
6.59 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Hypnus Into Mischief |
4.79 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
Madaket Road Quality Road |
6.17 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Publisher American Pharoah |
0.00 | Steve Asmussen Flavien Prat |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Dreaminblue Street Boss |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Innovator Authentic |
6.26 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 9 |
|
Smoken Wicked Bobby’s Wicked One |
6.21 |
1st, Louisiana Futurity |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
1st, Louisiana Futurity |
|||||
| 10 |
|
Bullard Gun Runner |
6.40 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 11 |
|
Speed King Volatile |
6.77 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 12 |
|
Brereton’s Baytown Upstart |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 13 |
|
Tiztastic Tiz the Law |
6.67 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 14 |
|
Hot Gunner Exaggerator |
0.00 |
1st, HOU ALW (1/19/2025-R5) |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
1st, HOU ALW (1/19/2025-R5) |
|||||
Honeybee (G3), Oaklawn, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-old fillies,
Kentucky Oaks 50-25-15-10-5 points race
Muhimma might outshine the rest of the field with her
3-for-3 record, but not by much. An odds-on favorite in all her starts, the
$700,000 Munnings filly trained by Brad Cox comes into her 3-year-old season
off a one-length victory in the Demoiselle (G2) in December at Aqueduct. Among
her rivals Saturday, Quickick finished second in the Alcibiades (G1) and third
in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, losing each time to eventual division
champion Immersive. Shipping from California, Look Forward started 2025
with a head victory in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez. Take Charge Milady won
both her January starts, including the Martha Washington by 5 3/4 lengths over
the same 8 1/2 furlongs as the Honeybee.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Muhimma Munnings |
7.31 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Necessity Constitution |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Jenkin Mineshaft |
6.27 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Classic Appeal Classic Empire |
0.00 |
1st, TP MSW (12/18/2024-R6) |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
1st, TP MSW (12/18/2024-R6) |
|||||
| 5 |
|
Quickick McKinzie |
7.37 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Take Charge Milady Take Charge Indy |
6.34 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Gunite Max Volatile |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Going Steady Constitution |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 9 |
|
Look Forward Bolt d’Oro |
6.39 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 10 |
|
Flash Wear Instilled Regard |
0.00 |
6th, OP ALW (1/31/2025-R6) |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
6th, OP ALW (1/31/2025-R6) |
|||||
| 11 |
|
Anonima Sharp Azteca |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 12 |
|
Quietside Malibu Moon |
6.77 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 13 |
|
Five G Vekoma |
6.34 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
Razorback Handicap (G3), Oaklawn, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds
and up
First Mission used Oaklawn to jump-start his 2024 season,
winning the Essex Handicap (G3) by five lengths before he ran off by four
lengths in the Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs. Off-the-board finishes
followed in the Stephen Foster (G1) and the Whitney (G1), and so did a six-month
break that ends Saturday for the 5-year-old millionaire trained by Cox. Grade
3-winning 5-year-old Skinner makes his second start for trainer Cherie DeVaux after finishing third in the sloppy Louisiana (G3). Five-year-old Banishing
steps up to graded company on the heels of a three-race winning streak, the
last two victories coming at Oaklawn. Four-year-old Baddest Good Boy is 2-for-2
with both wins coming this winter at Oaklawn.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Crupi Curlin |
7.17 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Banishing Ghostzapper |
5.64 |
1st, Byerley Turk Overnight |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
1st, Byerley Turk Overnight |
|||||
| 3 |
|
First Mission Street Sense |
7.30 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Alexander Helios Cairo Prince |
3.79 |
1st, GP AOC (1/18/2025-R3) |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
1st, GP Alw OC (1/18/2025-R3) |
|||||
| 5 |
|
Skinner Curlin |
7.01 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Full Screen Big Screen |
4.45 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Dimatic Gun Runner |
6.34 |
4th, OP Alw OC (1/17/2025-R9) |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
4th, OP Alw OC (1/17/2025-R9) |
|||||
| 8 |
|
Baddest Good Boy Bernardini |
0.00 |
1st, OP ALW (1/25/2025-R1) |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
1st, OP ALW (1/25/2025-R1) |
|||||
| 9 |
|
Henro Collected |
6.06 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 10 |
|
Cooke Creek Uncle Mo |
5.48 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 11 |
|
Tonka Warrior Cupid |
0.00 |
4th, General MacArthur Overnight |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
4th, General MacArthur Overnight |
|||||
| 12 |
|
Red Route One Gun Runner |
7.01 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 13 |
|
Creative Minister Creative Cause |
5.67 |
3rd, General MacArthur Overnight |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
3rd, General MacArthur Overnight |
|||||
| 14 |
|
Seize The Night Carpe Diem |
6.09 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
John Battaglia Memorial, Turfway Park, 1 1/16 miles, synthetic,
3-year-olds, Kentucky Derby 20-10-6-4-2 points race
First Resort already has 10 Derby qualifying points from his
most recent race, a 2 1/4-length victory Nov. 30 in the Kentucky Jockey Club
(G2) at Churchill Downs. Godolphin’s homebred Uncle Mo colt faces credible competition
in the overflow field. Coming in Hot is coming into the Battaglia with two
straight wins on the Florence, Ky., synthetic course, including Jan. 4 in the 6
1/2-furlong Turfway Prevue. On the same track, Baby Max finished first Jan. 18
in the one-mile Leonatus. After a 17 1/2-length maiden-breaker and then 5 1/2 months
off, Maximum Promise made up four places to finish fifth in the slop in last
month’s Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds. Studlydoright tries to rediscover the
form that won him two stakes before fourth-place results in the Remsen (G2) and
Jerome at Aqueduct earned him only four Derby points. He was cross-entered in the Miracle Wood on the dirt Saturday at Laurel Park.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Spirit Rags Union Rags |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Shan Shancelot |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Studlydoright Nyquist |
6.15 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Calling Card Complexity |
6.06 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
California Burrito Army Mule |
5.93 | Tommy Drury Irving Moncada |
Entered | |
|
Last race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Banks Outwork |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Baby Max Maximus Mischief |
5.34 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
King Of Ashes Street Sense |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 9 |
|
First Resort Uncle Mo |
7.17 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 10 |
|
Coming In Hot Maclean’s Music |
6.07 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 11 |
|
Brereton’s Baytown Upstart |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
| 12 |
|
Maximum Promise Maximum Security |
5.89 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
|
13 ae |
|
Special Caliber Mo Town |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
|
14 ae |
|
Maître D Game Winner |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last race |
||||||
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