Speed King. Coady Photo.
Speed King picked up 20 Road to the Derby points with his Southwest Stakes win
Sent off at 14-1 in a field of nine that included Bob Baffert-trained Gaming (2-1), Speed King set the pace, shook off a challenge by American Promise at the quarter pole, and held on a for one-length victory over Sandman, who stumbled at the start but recovered nicely.
Tiztastic was third, while 4-5 favorite Patch Adams was fourth and Gaming finished eighth.
The Southwest is a Derby points qualifier, with the top five finishers earning 20-10-6-4-2 points on a sliding scale. Speed King moves into second place on the Derby leaderboard with 25 points (he was second in the Springboard Mile for five points).
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Speed King ($30.60) covered the 1 1/16 miles 1:45.86 and improved to 3-2-1-0 for trained Ron Moquett.
Speed King scores the Grade III $1 Million Southwest Stakes from the bell for trainer Ron Moquett, owners Triton Throughbreds LLC, with Rafael Bejarano in the irons!🏆 🏇 💫 pic.twitter.com/fikbLFBlny
— Oaklawn Hot Springs (@OaklawnRacing) January 25, 2025
“It wasn’t my plan [to go to the lead],” Bejarano told Oaklawn publicity department. “I thought [Gaming] and [Patch Adams], they’re supposed to be on the lead. But my horse, he broke so good, so nice on the lead, I left him alone.
When I took a hold and got him relaxed, he responded to me. The horse, I think he can go a mile and a quarter. He’s improving every time he runs.”
Owner Ted Bowman (Triton Thoroughbreds) told bloodhorse.com: “My wife and I, we’re a small operation. She does all the books, [we] got a few partners that have never been in horse racing. It’s just been special—being here (at Oaklawn) where I went to the track with my mom and dad.
“Obviously now, we’re thinking big things, we hope.”
A year ago, Mystik Dan won the Southwest at 11-1 odds over a muddy track and went on to win the Derby at 18-1.