Monday marks the 53rd running of the Southwest Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park, the traditional prep for the Rebel Stakes (GII) in a month and also the Arkansas Derby (GI) in April. Though only Smarty Jones in 2004 made it to the coveted Churchill Downs winner’s circle reserved for only one very special horse a year, many other good horses have won the Southwest and still made the gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
The Hot Springs weather forecast calls for significantly warmer temperatures, but a high probability of rain and thunder showers and a high in the mid-70s, so it’s a good bet to handicap for an off track just in case.
Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ Mourinho returns to Arkansas from his home base of California for his first start since winning the Smarty Jones Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths a month ago. The Bob Baffert-trained son of 2010 Derby hero Super Saver had an easy trip last time in a very short field, but likely won’t have things his own way on the front end today. No matter, his connections say, as he doesn’t need the lead to be effective. His overall numbers say he’s been improving with each start and the extra sixteenth of a mile is well within his reach. He drew post four with speed on each side, so expect jockey Drayden Van Dyke to get a good stalking position early and reserving his mount’s best run for the stretch drive.
Sporting Chance, who won last year’s Hopeful Stakes (GI) before being sidelined with a knee chip, returns to action for Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, and while the layoff is a bit of a concern, he’s in capable hands and has been working exceptionally well over this surface in the New Year. The $575,000 son of Tiznow has shown an affinity for the front end and will no doubt claim an early position there from post position two with jockey Luis Saez driving, and if he’s fit after five months off, he’s dangerous. It’s his first route, but he’s bred for it and he’s capable of logging some pretty impressive numbers.
Stakes winner My Boy Jack ships in from California off a third to McKinzie in the Sham Stakes for trainer Keith Desormeaux. The former turf runner is the most seasoned of the bunch making his eighth career start and, while talented, turf may be a better option for this son of Creative Cause.
Seven Trumpets comes off a nice runner-up finish to Firenze Fire in the Jerome and trainer Dale Romans elected to run this son of Morning Line in a climate not the equivalent of the Arctic Circle, which was the case on Jerome day. The West Point Thoroughbreds-owned colt may pick up a piece with his best, but he seems just a notch below the top runners here.
Road to Damascus faces winners for the first time after breaking his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs last out and he carries the same connections as last year’s Southwest winner One Liner, but he’s yet to put up a big number and seems in a bit deep in here.
The best thing about Ezmosh is he has a nice second in an optional claiming over this track as a prep for this race; the worst thing is, as a frontrunner, he will need to be hustled and used by jockey Gary Stevens from the gate to get good position early. He’ll need everything to go right here.
Asmussen also sends out undefeated Retirement Fun, who won an allowance three weeks ago at Fair Grounds, and Combatant, who was second in the Springboard Mile and Smarty Jones in his last two. Both will need big improvement to best the better runners in here.
The last for Asmussen is Zing Zang, who was fourth in the LeComte last out. Hard to imagine he’ll improve that much here.
Lukas’ second runner here is Kentucky Club, who broke his maiden wearing a $30,000 tag last out. He is in pretty deep and may be suited to softer company.
California native and lifelong horsewoman Margaret Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. She got her start in racing working in the publicity departments at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park, as well as in the racing office at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. She then spent six years in Lexington, KY, at BRISnet.com, where she helped create and develop the company’s popular newsletters: Handicapper’s Edge and Bloodstock Journal.After returning to California, she served six years as the Southern California news correspondent for BloodHorse, assisted in the publicity department at Santa Anita Park and was a contributor to many other racing publications, including HorsePlayer Magazine and Trainer Magazine. She then spent seven years at HRTV and HRTV.com in various roles as researcher, programming assistant, producer and social media and marketing manager.
She has also walked hots and groomed runners, worked the elite sales in Kentucky for top-class consignors and volunteers for several racehorse retirement organizations, including CARMA.In 2016, Margaret was the recipient of the prestigious Stanley Bergstein Writing Award, sponsored by Team Valor, and was an Eclipse Award honorable mention for her story, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell,” which appeared on USRacing.com. The article and subsequent stories helped save 43 abandoned and neglected Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and also helped create a new animal welfare law in Kentucky known as the “Borell Law.”Margaret’s very first Breeders’ Cup was at Hollywood Park in 1984 and she has attended more than half of the Breeders’ Cups since. She counts Holy Bull and Arrogate as her favorite horses of all time.She lives in Robinson, Texas, with her longtime beau, Tony. She is the executive director of the 501(c)(3) non-profit horse rescue, The Bridge Sanctuary.