The $300,000, GIII Southwest Stakes, going a 2-turn mile, will have the double distinction of being the first of 3 Derby Trail tests at Oaklawn Park this season but will also be the very last of the 10-4-2-1 Derby points races under the new Churchill Downs points system format for a 2013 derby gate this holiday Monday!
“Probables”
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!
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.
Texas Bling, out of Too Much Bling, has an amazing 11-race resume already to his name and is a kind of a throwback 3yo to years gone by, finished 2nd by just a neck in the Smarty Jones Stakes here last out!
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!
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!
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!
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!
One would have to think that more Baffert horses are lurking around the Oaklawn backside somewhere and we wouldn’t be surprised to see more of his charges toe up to the line here on the President’s holiday Monday!
