The $300,000, GIII Southwest Stakes, for 3yo’s only, going a new further distance this year of 1 1/16 mile over the Oaklawn main track this coming President’s Day Monday and is the first of 3 2013 Derby Trail tests here at this venerable thoroughbred racing venue at Hot Springs, Arkansas!
The Southwest Stakes is also the very last of the new 10-4-2-1 preseason Kentucky Derby points format races set up by the ruling class at Churchill Downs for at least 2013. So the last 10 points in this final preseason Derby Trail race will go to the winner here on Monday.
Coming out for this initial Derby Trail test at Oaklawn Park this year will be,
Super Ninety Nine, out of Pulpit and a Unbridled’s Song mare, is the Bob Baffert trainee for this race here in the Baffert colony east! This one clicked off a mile in 1:35 flat last out in a Santa Anita $58k alw tilt clearing the field by more than 3 lengths at the wire!
A Baffert horse in a Oaklawn Derby trail race, exotics here!
Will Take Charge, is another Unbridled’s Song heir, trained by D. Wayne Lukas and was the winner of a tight 3-horse finish in the Smarty Jones Stakes here last month.
Drew top weight here on Monday for this 2013 Smarty Jones Stakes winner most be something in the air here and most be in your exotics thinking too!
Texas Bling, out of Too Much Bling, has an amazing 11-race resume already to his name and is a kind of throwback 3yo to years gone by, finished 2nd by just a neck in the Smarty Jones Stakes here last out! Exotics here, as well!
Always In A Tiz, by Tiznow, took the 3rd spot back another “head” in that same Smarty Jones Stakes here last out coming late on the outside. Just a 3-race resume here so plenty of room for improvement! This one’s an exotics pick too!
Brown Almighty , out of Big Brown, came 5th back 5 lengths in the Smarty Jones here last out as well. He’ll have to find some of that Derby, Preakness and Haskell winning blood of dad’s to move up here on Monday! Super this son of Big Brown!
Fear The Kitten, out of Kitten’s Joy and a Dynaformer mare, is a name you’ve already heard this season, coming 3rd in the GIII Le Comte Stakes at the Fairgrounds last month, so super this son of Kitten’s Joy at the very least!
The pedigree here screams “turf horse” to us but Mike Maker and the Ramsey’s seem bent on another “Dirt” try for this fledging 3yo Derby hopeful!
Big Lute , out of Midnight Lute, gets a little love here from the Oaklawn handicaper at 6/1, owns but a single Msw win to his very brief resume, winning an Oaklawn Feb 1st, 6f Msw by 4 3/4′ lengths in a gearing down 1:10.2 winning time.
This one’s sire was best know for late bursts in his 2 Breeders’ Cup Sprint wins but was never a 2-turn horse. So for us, the blood isn’t right at this distance, so a super spot for him only!
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Officer Alex | L S Quinonez | 117 | L S Whiting | 20/1 |
| 2. | Brown Almighty | T J Thompson | 117 | T A Ice | 10/1 |
| 3. | Will Take Charge | J K Court | 122 | D W Lukas | 5/1 |
| 4. | Texas Bling | M C Berry | 119 | D Durham | 12/1 |
| 5. | Always in a Tiz | P Lopez | 115 | D A Schettino | 4/1 |
| 6. | Super Ninety Nine | R Bejarano | 117 | B Baffert | 7/5 |
| 7. | Fear the Kitten | R Napravnik | 117 | M J Maker | 15/1 |
| 8. | Heaven’s Runway | J Loveberry | 117 | J R Martin | 30/1 |
| 9. | Channel Isle | I Ocampo | 117 | D W Lukas | 15/1 |
| 10. | Big Lute | R Albarado | 115 | S Hobby | 6/1 |
Picks are – 3,4,5,6 exacta box, then the 2,7 or 10 in the super spot!
