Having been postponed last Saturday due to the brutally cold conditions, the Grade 3, Southwest Stakes is Friday (2/6) at Oaklawn Park.
Not only does the 1 1/16-mile contest feature a million-dollar purse, but it also offers a total of 42 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis to the top five finishers.
Here is a brief look at the field:
1. RECLAMATION [ML 30-1] Jockey: Ramon Vazquez. Trainer: Christopher Davis. His first career victory was January 3rd in his second start. He has never raced longer than six furlongs and his winning speed figure was so-so. This task seems a tad ambitious.
2. D’CODE [ML 3-1] Jockey: Luis Saez. Trainer: Ray Ashford Jr. Was dominant a dominate winner in his debut at Oaklawn winning by six furlongs on December 14th with an impressive speed figure. Going two turns is a mystery at this point but he should be in front for as far as he can go.
3. BUETANE [ML 4-1] Jockey: Joel Rosario. Trainer; Bob Baffert. The of Hall of Fame trainer has a record six wins in this race. BUETANE had a little trouble chasing a fast pace while finishing 2nd in the San Vicente Stakes but has the talent to be a factor.
4. RANCHO SANTA FE [ML 15-1] Jockey: Flavien Prat. Trainer: Brad Cox. At 3-1 odds he ran a disappointing 5th here in the Smarty Jones Stakes January 3rd. Will need take a big step forward, but getting Prat aboard is a positive sign.
5. LITMUS TEST [SCRATCHED] Jockey: Juan Hernandez. Trainer: Bob Baffert.
6. CIRCLE TAP [ML 30-1] Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr. Trainer: Ken McPeek. Took five starts to secure his first win, but it happened in his first try around two turns. Has yet to post a speed figure fast enough to be competitive here.
7. LIBERTY NATIONAL [ML 10-1] Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr. Trainer: Ken McPeek. Rallied to finish 2nd at this distance in the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds. Clocked a decent time, he should benefit from a quick pace.
8. SPIRIT OF ROYAL [ML 30-1] Jockey: Francisco Arrieta. Trainer: Dallas Stewart. Took six races to break his Maiden. The speed figure for the win was entirely too low for consideration here.
9. STRATEGIC RISK [ML 9-2] Jockey: Javier Castellano. Trainer: Mark Casse. Won the Smarty Jones here while chasing a slow pace. This Florida-bred should be able to sit chilly off the lead and surge when asked. Certainly, a contender.
10. BRICKLIN [ML 20-1] Jockey: Jaime Torres. Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset. Wasn’t a factor in the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes, but then returned January 3rd for a sharp, front-running win in an Allowance race at Oaklawn. He won’t be alone up front and could bounce off a big effort last out.
11. SILENT TACTIC [ML 20-1] Jockey: Cristian Torres. Trainer: Mark Casse. Rallied to take 2nd behind stablemate STRATEGIC RISK in the Smarty Jones. Making his second start on dirt, a fast pace would help his cause.
12. BAYTOWN DREAMER [ML 30-1] Jockey: Orlando Bocachica. Trainer: Paul McEntee. Didn’t show much of a late kick when he ran 3rd behind the slow pace in the Smarty Jones. He was 84-1 that day…bottom half of exotics not out of the realm of possibility.
13. SOLDIER N DIPLOMAT [ML 12-1] Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Showed some speed in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and led at the eighth pole before fading to 3rd. He has trained nicely but this post position does him no favors as he’ll need to avoid a wide trip.
14. SLEEPINGONFREEDOM [ML 30-1] Jockey: Emmanuel Esquivel. Trainer: Ken McPeek. Ran 4th in the Smarty Jones. Another who will need to overcome the detriment of an outside post if he wants to keep progressing.
The Southwest Stakes is listed as race 11 on a card of 12 with a scheduled Post Time of 5:40.
Best of luck however you play it.
