Confidence Game beats favorites in Rebel Stakes

Confidence Game, under James Graham, wins the Grade 2 $1 million Rebel Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn. - Photo courtesy of Coady Photography
Confidence Game, under James Graham, wins the Grade 2 $1 million Rebel Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn. - Photo courtesy of Coady Photography

Keith Desormeaux has three less Kentucky Derby victories than brother Kent, a Hall of Fame jockey, but the trainer qualifies for frequent-miles on the road to the Triple Crown.

In his 50s, the Louisiana native has a Preakness victory with Exaggerator, who in 2016 upset Derby winner Nyquist at Pimlico. With little fanfare, he entered Fair Grounds shipper Confidence Game in the Grade 2 $1 million Rebel Saturday at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Desormeaux ' horse is 50 points closer to Derby 149 after a one-length victory in the slop at 18-1 odds.

As for bloodlines, they never beat Candy Ride -- Confidence Game resulting from a pairing of the retired Ron McAnally runner to a daughter of 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini. For those who like omens, his two other wins came at Churchill Downs in a second-out maiden race in August and on the track's all-juvenile card in late November.

Finding the Brad Cox-trained Instant Coffee too strong when third in the Jan. 21 LeComte at Fair Grounds, Confidence Game worked three times down south before coming to Oaklawn, where he showed some jitters early before the Rebel.

"He sort of lost his mind in the paddock, so I was worried until he got on the track," Desormeaux said. "James got him to settle down out there. He's really come into his own. He started off pretty immature, but as the races went on, he has improved things mentally and physically."

Said Graham, "I was able to settle him down when we were warming up so he got back into things mentally. ... He wasn't doing too much too soon. He had a ton left down the lane. ... He keeps maturing and doing things the right way. I think the sky is the limit for him."

Powerful played the rabbit for two fellow Steve Asmussen trainees entered, taking the field six furlongs in 1:11.45. He finished 10th, behind local winner Gun Pilot, but laying a beachhead for late-running Red Route One.

A stone closer who tipped his hand when second to runaway winner Arabian Knight in Oaklawn's Grade 3 Southwest Jan. 28, Red Route One traded paint with Cox trainee Giant Mischief in upper stretch. Into Mischief's son, owned in part by Arkansan Steve Landers, was making his first start since a stakes second at Remington Park in December.

Oaklawn maiden winner Verifying, sired by Triple Crown winner Justify and kin to champion racemare Midnight Bisou, ran fourth for Cox, one of six running without Lasix to meet Triple Crown requirements. He and Red Route One, Reincarnate (formerly with Bob Baffert but here with Tim Yakteen in light of Baffert's non-favored status at Churchill Downs) and Wayne lukas-trained Bourbon Bash divvied up Derby qualifying points.

Some 100 points go to the Triple Crown-eligible winner of the Grade 1 $1.25 million Arkansas Derby April 1. Cyberknife, trained by Cox, won the Oaklawn classic last year and added a second Grade 1 win in the summer.

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