Two Hall of Fame jockeys have riding assignments Monday in Oaklawn Park's biggest race of the year to date.
Mike Smith has been named aboard Oaklawn winner Whitmore, trained by Ron Moquett, while Gary Stevens gets the call on Z Royal for fellow Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas. Smarty Jones winner Discreetness and the next three finishers from the Jan. 18 mile race at Oaklawn are expected back for the Grade 3 $500,000 Southwest a mile and a sixteenth.
The Southwest offers points on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the top four finishers for a possible start in the Kentucky Derby May 7 at 7 at Churchill Downs. It is also a prep for the Grade 2 $900,000 Rebel March 19 and the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby April 16 later in the Oaklawn season.
The Southwest and Oaklawn's annual $55,000 progressive cash givewaway highlight Monday's Presidents Day program, the 10-race card beginning at 1:05 p.m. The Southwest completes a weekend stakes buffet at the track with Saturday's Grade 3 $100,000 Essex Handicap for older males and Sunday's Grade 3 $100,000 Bayakoa for older fillies and mares, both at a mile and a sixteenth. Saturday's live racing begins at 1:05 p.m. and Sunday's at 1:30 p.m.
Moquett, Oaklawn's training leader (nine wins) after four weeks of racing, gave the go-ahead for Whitmore entering the Southwest after the Pleasantly Perfect gelding worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 Monday. With the trainer's wife and assistant, Laura, in the saddle, Whitmore worked in company with two stablemates, including 2015 Southwest winner Far Right, over a fast track on a sunny, windy morning.
Far Right, a troubled second going a mile in his 4-year-old debut Jan. 28, is being pointed to the Grade 2 $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap April 16, Moquett said.
"The work was a maintenance breeze for Far Right and a question-asking breeze for Whitmore," said Moquett. "It was just a typical maintenance deal. Very proud of them. You've got to be excited about the works and, thank, goodness, all my horses worked good today."
Smith won the Smarty Jones and Southwest last year aboard Far Right for Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock and business partner Robert LaPenta. Moquett owns interest in Whitmore with Rosenblum and LaPenta, interest building after the gelding's debut victory at Churchill Downs and his Jan. 16 triumph in an Oaklawn allowance/optional claimer. Didiel Osorio rode Whitmore at Oaklawn, Moquett passing on the Smarty Jones, and sent the favored mount up the rail in the stretch going six furlongs in 1:10.57.
Z Royal, a second-out maiden winner at Churchill Downs last November and fifth in Fair Grounds' Grade 3 LeComte Jan. 16, makes his Oaklawn debut in the Southwest. Z Royal, a homebred son of Eskendereya produced by the Monarchos mare Joanne Jubilation, races in the familar colors of Zayat Stable, which campaigned future Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah in 2015 Rebel and Arkansas Derby victories at Oaklawn.
Z Royal breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Monday for Lukas, whose Big Sur upset future classic winners Pine Bluff and Lil E. Tee in the 1992 Southwest.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is sending last-out Grade 3 winner Collected for the Southwest, which he has won four times in this decade (both 2012 runnings included). The City Zip colt won the Sham Jan. 9 at Santa Anita, his first start on dirt, with a wide trip under Martin Garcia. Baffert switched surfaces after Collected's maiden victory on Santa Anita's downhill turf.
"Bob thought he might do better on grass," said Houston owner Peter Fluor, who races as Speedway Stable LLC. "His dad, City Zip, was a terrific dirt horse so I was optimistic, optimistic with caution (in the Sham)."
Second in the Sham with Let's Meet In Rio, Baffert has a top Kentucky Derby contender in Mor Spirit, impressive winner of Saturday's Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita. The Baffert-trained Grade 3 winner Toews On Ice finished up the track in the Smarty Jones.
Discreetness won the Smarty Jones by a neck over Gordy Florida with Synchrony third in his stakes debut and Luna de Loco fourth. Trainer Donnie Von Hemel is readying Synchrony and Suddenbreakingnews to the Southwest for different owners, Suddenbreakingnews losing the $300,000 Springboard Mile Dec. 13 at Remington Park by a nose to Discreetness. Trainer Jinks Fires said Discreetness probably will work this morning.
Also likely for Monday's race at Torrontes, Bird of Trey, last-out Oaklawn winner Cutacorner and American Dubai.
Sports on 02/10/2016