Coal Battle, Speed King headline 14-horse Rebel Stakes field

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Coal Battle and Speed King, who have won the first two Kentucky Derby points races this meet at Oaklawn Park, will both be part of a 14-horse field for the track’s Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes on Sunday.

The first five finishers in the Kentucky Derby qualifier will earn points on a scale of 50-25-15-10-5.

Entries for the Rebel were taken last Sunday. It will go as the 11th race on a 12-race card that has a special first post of 12 p.m. Central. Other major races on the program include the Grade 3, $500,000 Honeybee – a Kentucky Oaks qualifier that drew 13 – and the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap that drew 14.

Coal Battle won the Smarty Jones earlier in the meet at Oaklawn and will break from the rail in the Rebel. Speed King won the Southwest Stakes in his last start and will break from post 11 on Saturday.

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The complete Rebel field from the rail with riders is: Coal Battle, Juan Vargas; Admiral Dennis, Florent Geroux; Sandman, Cristian Torres; Hypnus, Brian Hernandez Jr.; Madaket Road, Irad Ortiz Jr.; Publisher, Flavien Prat; Dreaminblue, Francisco Arrieta; Innovator, Tyler Bacon; Smoken Wicked, Tyler Gaffalione; Bullard, Umberto Rispoli; Speed King, Rafael Bejarano; Brereton’s Baytown, Joseph Bealmear; Tiztastic, Jose Ortiz; and Hot Gunner, Harry Hernandez.

Bob Baffert, who has won eight runnings of the Rebel, trains Madaket Road.

The Honeybee goes as the ninth race. The field from the rail is Muhimma, Necessity, Jenkin, Classic Appeal, Quickick, Take Charge Milady, Gunite Max, Going Steady, Look Forward, Flash Wear, Anonima, Quietside and Five G.

The forecast for Saturday is sunny skies and a high of 47 degrees, according to AccuWeather. Oaklawn plans to open the infield if the weather is agreeable.

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