Bejarano shooting for fourth win in the Southwest
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Rafael Bejarano, who has the distinction of winning two runnings of the Southwest Stakes on a single day, will be chasing after his fourth victory in the race when he teams with Speed King on Saturday.
Bejarano first won the Southwest in 2012, when the race was split into divisions and he shipped in and accounted for both aboard Bob Baffert trainees Secret Circle and Castaway. Bejarano and Baffert returned a year later and won the Southwest with Super Ninety Nine.
Bejarano, now based at Oaklawn Park, will be aboard Speed King for local trainer Ron Moquett. The horse has made two starts, winning a maiden special weight at six furlongs in November at Churchill Downs and running second in the $300,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 13 at Remington Park. Speed King set the pace in the Springboard Mile after breaking from the three hole in a field of 12. On Saturday, he will start from the outside post in a field of 10.
“He’s a nice horse,” Bejarano said. “I had to go a little bit early last time. Now this time, I have an outside position. The race will be a mile and a sixteenth. I don’t think this should be a problem with the distance.
“But from the outside position, because a couple have speed, I’m probably second or third, very close in the race, then horses have got to come from behind. Hopefully, we get a good position, no hard pressure. He can be right off of it, right behind.”
Bejarano expects the speed in the race to come from Gaming, Patch Adams, and American Rose.
Bejarano was aboard Speed King for a half-mile move Jan. 18. The horse went in 47 seconds, the fastest of an eye-popping 315 drills at the distance that morning at Oaklawn.
“That was a real bullet,” Bejarano said. “He worked really nice. He looks more mature, the horse. He’s a big horse and I think he’s going forward, learning every time he races.”
Speed King was beaten a half-length in the Springboard Mile by a late-running Coal Battle, who came back in his next start to win the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn.
As for Bejarano, the native of Peru has been a regular here the last two seasons. It’s important for him to be active in the Southwest, which is the second of four Kentucky Derby points races at the meet.
“I’m looking for horses for the Kentucky Derby,” he said of his reason for wintering at Oaklawn.
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