Saturday marks the 59th running of the Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park and the feature again returns on the track’s stakes calendar to its regular spot as the traditional Rebel Stakes (G2) prep this year after a nearly two-week delay in 2021 thanks to winter storm Uri, which blanketed the southeast From Texas to North Florida with frigid temperatures, ice and snow for about 10 days.
This year the 1 1/16-mile race drew a full field of 12, including the Bob Baffert-trained Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Wynstock and the Godolphin-owned, Michael Stidham-trained Maycocks Bay, who seeks a first stakes win in his first graded appearance and is the 3-1 morning line favorite.
The Southwest Stakes is the traditional prep for the Rebel Stakes (G2), which will take place on February 24, and also for the Arkansas Derby (G1), which will be contested on March 30 this year. Though so far through 58 previous years only Smarty Jones in 2004 made it to the coveted Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby winner’s circle, a lot of other good horses have won the Southwest, some making the gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May and some just 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, did manage to earn a second-place finish in that year’s Preakness. Demons Begone won this race, the Rebel Stakes (G2) and then the Arkansas Derby (G1) in 1987 and was the favorite on the first Saturday in May before bleeding so profusely jockey Pat Day had to pull him up for his and the horse’s safety. Champion Smoke Glacken was a Southwest winner before distance limitations kept him sprinting, earning himself an Eclipse Award as that year’s best runner around one turn. Some other notable Southwest winners include Lawyer Ron, Old Fashioned, Secret Circle, My Boy Jack and champion, Belmont Stakes (G1) winner and Breeders’ Cup hero Essential Quality.
Baffert has shipped in a stakes-high six winners, including Newgrange in 2022 and Arabian Knight last year.
John Ed Anthony’s Loblolly Stable, which was shuttered in 1994, remains the leading owner with three wins here and the late trainer Bob Holthus saddled five winners over his spectacular career. Two jockeys – the late Larry Snyder (in whose name the Oaklawn winner’s circle is dedicated) and Rafael Bejarano each have three winners on their resume, 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 $900,000 pot and valuable points on the Road to the Derby for the top finishers (20-10-6-4-2), except Wynstock since he’s trained by Baffert, and the races has been carded as the 11th on the day with a post time of 4:50 p.m. CT. The local weather forecast calls for a 50 percent chance for rain and a high hovering near 60.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
