Photo:

Casey Laughter / Eclipse Sportswire

Trainer Brad Cox had several options for debuting lightly raced Patch Adams in a Kentucky Derby qualifying race.

Cox opted for the Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-miles Southwest will mark the 3-year-old debut for Patch Adams, an Into Mischief colt who races for his breeder, WinStar Farm, and China Horse Club.

“The timing was good,” WinStar president, CEO and racing manager Elliott Walden said Tuesday afternoon. “Brad wanted to give him a break after the maiden race at Churchill. Just let him grow up and see if he’s good enough to get on the Derby trail. He’s definitely fast enough. So, we wanted to pick out a race that had good timing and that race, the Southwest, is good timing from his last race and also what would be his next race if he were to run good.”

Patch Adams was an odds-on favorite in both 2024 starts.

He debuted with a third-place finish at six furlongs Oct. 11 at Keeneland, then demolished maiden special weight runners Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs. Stretching out to seven furlongs, Patch Adams won by 10 1/2 lengths and received a robust 98 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form. His time of 1:20.77 over a fast-rated surface narrowly missed two-time champion Groupie Doll’s track record of 1:20.44.

Patch Adams, who removed blinkers for his second start, has been a forward factor in his brief racing career. Highly regarded despite a limited resume, he is named as the 5-2 second choice in the program. He will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, a 2024 Eclipse Award winner as the country’s outstanding jockey.

Southern California-based Gaming is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Southwest. A Grade 1 winner and finalist for champion 2-year-old male, Gaming will also be making his 3-year-old debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Southwest a record six times.

While Oaklawn-based Southwest entrants continue to have training interrupted because of winter weather, Patch Adams has been training steadily at Payson Park in south Florida, where he has a series of bullet workouts in preparation for his two-turn debut.

“He’s had a great rhythm,” Walden said. “He’s had a great work pattern. I think Bob, coming from California, has a similar advantage when he comes to Oaklawn. I think of this as probably something to our advantage.”

Walden said he’s optimistic Patch Adams can carry his speed around two turns, noting he’s from the family of Well Armed, a WinStar homebred who captured the 2009 Dubai World Cup (G1) at about 1 1/4 miles.

“I don’t anticipate it to be a problem,” Walden said. “But until you do it, you never know, I guess.”

The Southwest is Oaklawn’s second of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races, a series that continues with the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 22 and the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 29.

WinStar won the 2016 Arkansas Derby with Creator, 2017 Southwest with One Liner as part of partnership, and last year’s Rebel as part of another partnership with Timberlake. Walden, as trainer, won the 1998 Rebel and Arkansas Derby with champion Victory Gallop.

Walden said Patch Adams is named for the 1998 movie of the same name starring comedian Robin Williams. The dam of Patch Adams is Well Humored.