Weather-Delayed Rebel Promises Southwest Rematch

[Wandering Eyes]

In racing as in life, good things come to those who wait. And while we have had to endure an extra 24 hours for Sunday's rescheduled GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the wait may just prove worth it as a full, competitive field of 3-year-olds line up with 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on the line.

The top three runners from the GIII Southwest Stakes face each other once again Sunday with Speed King (Volatile) taking top billing back on Jan. 25 over a hard-closing Sandman (Tapit) who caught the eye with his runner-up finish after breaking sideways and nearly dropping jockey Christian Torres at the start.

“Take nothing away from the winner, but, yes, I think we would have won with a clean break,” trainer Mark Casse told the TDN Writers' Room this week of Sandman. “I knew going in that we were going to find out whether he was a man or a boy. I think he proved he was a man. We all know that a lot of horses, even a lot of good horses, are not able to be to overcome what he was able to overcome. So I don't know about everybody else, but I came away from the race extremely impressed.”

The trio rounds out with Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) who also came running at the end to earn his third straight graded stakes placing after coming second in the GIII Street Sense and third in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club last year. Trainer Bob Baffert ships in Madaket Road (Quality Road), a runner he thought so highly of that he debuted him in the GIII Bob Hope Stakes where he ran a game second to 'TDN Rising Star' Bullard (Gun Runner) (who will scratch from this spot due to a fever) before breaking his maiden next-time out and running third to Eclipse-winning stablemate Citizen Bull (Into Mischief). Rail-drawn Coal Battle (Coal Front) comes in off three straight wins including the first of the local preps at Oaklawn in the Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 4 along with the Springboard Mile where he defeated Speed King Dec. 13.

“After the (Smarty Jones), we go to the test barn, get back to the barn with him, and he's bucking and kicking down the shed row,” trainer Lonnie Briley said of Coal Battle. “Next day, it was like he didn't even run.”

Another on a three-race streak is Louisiana-bred Smoken Wicked (Bobby's Wicked One) for Dallas Stewart while 'TDN Rising Star' Hypnus (Into Mischief) makes just his second start for trainer Kenneth McPeek after impressing over the Fair Grounds slop at long odds Jan. 18 while Brad Cox, who won the Rebel last year with 'Rising Star' Timberlake (Into Mischief), brings out another 'Rising Star' in Admiral Dennis (Constitution).

Muhimma | Sarah Andrew

Cox also features strongly in the GIII Honeybee Stakes, a Kentucky Oaks points race, earlier in the card with 'TDN Rising Star' Muhimma (Munnings) drawing the rail in an attempt to stay perfect off her win in last year's GII Demoiselle Stakes Dec. 7.

“Super talent,” said Cox. “Been good from Day 1. We'll see where she takes us, but she's obviously shown the ability to win from the 1 hole already, in a large field at Aqueduct.”

The top two finishers of Oaklawn's local prep, the Martha Washington Stakes, also reappear here as Kenneth McPeek's Take Charge Milady (Take Charge Indy) led in 'TDN Rising Star' and MGISP Quietside (Malibu Moon) over course and distance Jan. 25. Talented juvenile Quickick (McKinzie), last seen third behind Eclipse-winning filly Immersive (Nyquist) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar, reemerges here off two straight Grade I placings to round out 2024 (she was also second to Immersive in the GI Darley Alcibiades). Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro) makes her third start for Michael McCarthy after debuting for the late Ben Cecil at Del Mar in November. She took the Santa Ynez Stakes Jan. 5 after running second to Tenma (Nyquist) in the GII Starlet Stakes last year.

Older horses feature in the GIII Razorback Handicap which includes the return of Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense {Ire}) for Brad Cox. The 5-year-old last trailed home seventh in the GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga last summer but previously took both the GIII Essex Handicap at Oaklawn and the GII Alyshebe Stakes at Churchill last year.

“He's training really well,” Cox said. “Obviously, he's proven over the racetrack. I'm excited about getting him started.”

He's drawn inside of Baddest Good Boy (Bernardini) for Norm Casse who makes his stakes debut Sunday and brings a perfect two-for-two record in both over the local surface. Readers will recognize plenty of familiar names in the field including: MGSW/GISP Red Route One (Gun Runner), GI Preakness third Creative Minister (Creative Cause), GSW/MGISP Skinner (Curlin) who makes his second start for Cherie DeVaux, and GSW/MGISP Crupi (Curlin) for the partnership of Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable.

First Mission | Horsephotos

“He's doing really well,” DeVaux said of Skinner. “Came out of his last race and trained forwardly. We didn't have him all that long, prior to his start. Hoping he puts in another good effort for us. His (speed) figures are kind of steady where they are, but I think there's room for improvement as he matures and he has matured.”

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