Baffert says Concert Tour won Rebel 'the right way'

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Concert Tour and Hozier were headed home to Southern California on Sunday after running a respective one-two in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes the day before at Oaklawn Park.

Concert Tour, who was trainer Bob Baffert’s eighth winner in the Rebel, earned 50 points toward a Kentucky Derby berth – and a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 94. Hozier, who finished 4 1/2 lengths back in second, earned 20 points for the Kentucky Derby.

“They came out of the race great, are on a plane as we speak,” Baffert said Sunday.

Concert Tour remained unbeaten in three starts with his Rebel win. He was making his two-turn debut off a victory over seven furlongs in the Grade 2 San Vicente at Santa Anita. Concert Tour moved to the front right out of the gate, withstood early pressure from Caddo River, controlled the pace from there, and won in hand under Joel Rosario. He covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.18.

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“I was impressed,” Baffert said. “He did it the right way – speed, slowed down. He took that other horse early.

“[Concert Tour’s] a really fast horse. We’re excited about him, thought he was that kind of horse.”

Baffert said he also was proud of Hozier’s effort running second. The horse closed from sixth in what was his first start against winners. Hozier was coming off a maiden special weight win over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Concert Tour is a son of Street Sense who races for his breeders, Gary and Mary West.

Baffert said plans going forward for both Concert Tour and Hozier will be determined within the next few weeks, as the horses return to their routines in Southern California.

“This is the time we’re all getting excited,” Baffert said. “The party needs to continue.”

Baffert’s other Rebel winners were Lookin At Lucky in 2010; The Factor (2011); Secret Circle (2012); Hoppertunity (2014); American Pharoah (2015); Cupid (2016); and Nadal (2020).

Caddo River was the favorite in the Rebel following his more-than-10-length win in the $150,000 Smarty Jones in January at Oaklawn Park. For that victory he earned 10 Kentucky Derby points.

Caddo River, who finished fifth in the Rebel, on Sunday appeared to have emerged from the Rebel in good order, Cox said.

“We’re obviously disappointed, really can’t give him an excuse,” Cox said Sunday. “He probably didn’t relax like we would have liked. We got the position we wanted. I was content with either being on the lead or tracking the winner, and we found ourselves tracking the winner. I wouldn’t have traded positions with anyone. I thought we were in the right spot, but the horse didn’t respond the way we wanted. At the half-mile pole he made a little run, but you could tell, obviously, at the five-sixteenths pole, it wasn’t going to be our day. The horse inside of us, [Concert Tour], was moving much easier. Very, very nice horse.

“Those races obviously go through Bob’s [Baffert] barn and he does a tremendous job. He’s won the race eight times. But you got to accept the challenge and we did. We failed, and we’ll move forward.”

Cox said plans for Caddo River are being discussed with owner John Ed Anthony.

“We don’t really know where we’ll wind up,” Cox said. “I wouldn’t say we’re off the Derby Trail. We’ve got to back up and play some defense.”

Keepmeinmind closed from last for sixth in the Rebel in his first start since winning the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in November at Churchill Downs.

“Of course we’re disappointed,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said Sunday. “He’s better than what he showed yesterday. I was a little concerned the last couple of days as the weather started drying up and the track got faster and faster. Not making excuses. I think that was a big part of it.”

Keepmeinmind also had a wide trip Saturday.

“We got hung wide the whole way,” Diodoro said. “After coming off a layoff, that’s not easy, either.” .

Diodoro said Keepmeinmind emerged from the race in good order, and he is discussing next-race options with the horse’s ownership. Those options include the Arkansas Derby at his base of Oaklawn and the Blue Grass at Keeneland.

“He ran well at Keeneland," Diodoro said.

Keepmeinmind was second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last year at Keeneland, and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile over the same track in November.

*** Oaklawn handled more than $15 million on its Rebel Day card Saturday, according to figures from the Hot Springs, Ark. track.

The track reported an estimated attendance of 5,500, with 1,500 patrons watching from the infield.

Handle on the 12-race card ontrack was $879,673. Handle on Oaklawn's races offtrack was $15.070,796 for a total all-sources handle of $15,950,470.

Oaklawn has limited attendance this meet due to the ongoing pandemic. The infield was opened for the second time this meet Saturday.