By Margaret Ransom
Saturday marks the 56th running of the Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park after a nearly two-week delay due to winter storm Uri, which blanketed the southeast From Texas to North Florida with frigid temperatures, ice, and snow for about 10 days.
The race had been postponed three times, but still drew a field of seven, including Godolphin’s 2-year-old male champion Essential Quality.
The Southwest the traditional prep for the Rebel Stakes (G2), which is in two weeks because of the delay, and the Arkansas Derby (G1), which is set for April 10. In 55 previous editions, only Smarty Jones in 2004 made it to the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle. However, quite a few good horses have won the Southwest, some making the gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May and some going on to exceptional racing careers.
The well-traveled and speedy New Mexico-based Bold Ego won this race in 1981 and though well-beaten in the Derby, he managed to run second in the Preakness. Demons Begone won the Southwest, the Rebel, and the Arkansas Derby in 1987 and was the favorite on the first Saturday in May. However, he had severe breathing issues and had to pull him up for his and the horses’ safety.
RELATED: 2021 Southwest Stakes: Essential Quality Favored, But Don’t Count Out Jackie’s Warrior
Champion Smoke Glacken was a Southwest winner in 1997 before distance limitations kept him sprinting but earned an Eclipse Award as the best runner around one turn. Other notable Southwest winners include Lawyer Ron, Old Fashioned, Secret Circle, My Boy Jack, and Silver Prospector a year ago.
John Ed Anthony’s Loblolly Stable, which was shuttered in 1994, remains the leading owner with three wins and the late trainer Bob Holthus saddled five winners over his career. Two jockeys – the late Larry Snyder [in whose name the Oaklawn winner’s circle is dedicated] and Rafael Bejarano each won three, the latter winning twice in 2012 when the race was split due to overflow entries.
This year the 1 1/16-mile race carries a $750,000 pot and 10 points for the winner, and the race has been carded as the 11th with a post time of 5:58 p.m. CT.
The Southwest Stakes Field
From the rail out, with jockey, trainer, and morning line odds:
1. Essential Quality (Luis Saez, Brad Cox) 3-2
Tapit—Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality
2. Saffa’s Day (Ricardo Santana, Jr., Steve Asmussen)
Carpe Diem—Shytoe Lafeet, by King of Kings
3. Last Samurai (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart) 12-1
Malibu Moon—Lady Samuri, by First Samurai
4. Jackie’s Warrior (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen) 8-5
Maclean’s Music—Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred
5. Santa Cruiser (Richard Eramia, Keith Desormeaux) 12-1
Dialed In—Sweet Sermon, by Tapit
6. Woodhouse (David Cabrera, C. R. Trout) 8-1
Speightstown—Magical Dream, by Malibu Moon
7. Spielberg (Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert) 9-2
Union Rags—Miss Squeal, by Smart Strike
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 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 Pasadena with her longtime beau, Tony, two Australian Shepherds and one Golden Retriever.
