Only the winner's name changed in the Rebel Stakes. Otherwise, except for purse size and calendar placement, the $900,000 race Saturday would be indistinguishable from its $500,000 February forerunner at Oaklawn Park.
In both cases, a Todd Pletcher-trained 3-year-old with two lifetime starts shipped in from Florida with hopes of staying unbeaten -- and did.
Almost four weeks after One Liner jogged home in the Grade 3 Southwest, Malagacy passed his own class test in the Grade 2 Rebel. The chestnut colt emulated his Preakness-winning sire, Shackleford, with a two-length victory over 112-1 longshot Sonneteer in a field of 11 Triple Crown nominees.
Untrapped, owned by Mike Langford of Jonesboro, finished third in his Oaklawn debut with Petrov, trained and co-owned by Ron Moquett, fourth. The top four split 85 points (50 to the winner) for a possible start in the May 6 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Malagacy, after two sprint victories by a combined 22 lengths, made his stakes and two-turn debut in the Rebel, completing the fast-rated mile and sixteenth in 1:43. He paid $8.60, $6.60 and $5.60.
Along with One Liner and Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapwrit, Malagacy gives Pletcher another prospect for the Kentucky Derby, which the multiple Eclipse Award winner targets every year but has won only once, with Arkansas Derby runner-up Super Saver in 2010.
Pletcher holds an equally strong hand for the April 15 running of the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby, which he has won four times and himself calls "the logical next step" for Malagacy, purchased for $190,000 as a 2-year-old and campaigning for Sumaya Us Stables.
Watching from his south Florida base, the winning trainer applauded Malagacy's Rebel performance.
"He showed today that he can definitely go around two turns and I am very proud of him," Pletcher said. "He showed good tactical speed yet he rated very kindly, which we thought he would do. We were trying a new distance and he was stepping up in class against some nice, seasoned horses so I was very, very pleased with and proud of his effort."
Multiple Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano, aboard Malagacy in each of the colt's three starts, said "I rode with a lot confidence. Every single race he's been impressive. Todd did a great job with the horse, going long and stepping up in class, and he still showed up and won the race. I give all the credit to Mr. Pletcher."
Conversely, American Anthem, the 8-5 favorite, finished 10th, disappointing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, whose streak of three consecutive Rebel victories (six in the last seven years) was snapped.
"He didn't break as sharp as I thought he would," said Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes. "Mike (Smith, Hall of Fame jockey) said he just struggled a bit with the track."
Uncontested, Oaklawn's Smarty Jones winner in January, faded on the lead for the second-straight race. Suspected of losing air when sixth in the Southwest, Uncontested was fitted with a tongue tie for the Rebel and led the field through six furlongs in 1:11.35 before giving way in the stretch.
"We're disappointed again," said Little Rock co-owner Harry Rosenblum. "He set a perfect pace. He just may not want to go that far."
Untrapped, twice runner-up in New Orleans stakes, was nipped by a nose for second in the Rebel by Sonneteer, a nine-race maiden trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden Saturday by Richard Eramia. Untrapped (Irad Ortiz Jr.) in turn nosed out Smarty Jones and Southwest runner-up Petrov (Jose Ortiz) for third.
"Untrapped," wheeled back into action 21 days after his last start, "should do better with a little more time between races," said Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the 2016 Arkansas Derby and Belmont Stakes with Rebel show horse Creator.
Petrov, after chasing a lone speed horse in each of his last two starts, had traffic problems this time.
"We don't get a chance to ever get clear," said Moquett. "We get banged around there and we get beat for second by a nose. You don't want to run fourth when you run second by a nose."
Sports on 03/19/2017