Conquest Windycity may get shot at Rebel

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Conquest Windycity is a 3-year-old who wants 1 1/4 miles, according to trainer Mark Casse, and he will soon get a shot at one of the Kentucky Derby preps. Conquest Windycity has put himself under consideration for the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel at his Oaklawn Park base by winning his first start of the year last Friday.

Conquest Windycity won an entry-level allowance at a distance far less than optimum for him, seemingly just getting warmed up as the mile race was coming to an end. The Rebel will be run over 1 1/16 miles on March 19. Conquest Windycity, who had never raced at a distance less than 1 1/16 miles until last time out, is a son of Tiznow.

“He has a huge pedigree, and if there’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse anywhere around, it’s him,” Casse said earlier this week. “I’m thinking about the Rebel for him, even though the Rebel is probably going to be a little short for him. The thing is, for this horse to really show us how he is, the more ground the better.”

Casse added that the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 20 is a race that had seemed “intriguing” for Conquest Windycity because of its 1 1/8-mile distance. Sunland Park is still expecting to run the Sunland Derby, but the situation is clouded because an outbreak of equine herpesvirus at the New Mexico track. Racing there was suspended Jan. 23, but is expected to resume Friday.

Conquest Windycity won by 1 1/4 lengths last Friday over Rated R Superstar, who last year ran third to winner Brody’s Cause in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and second in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs. Conquest Windycity ran fourth, beaten four lengths, in the Iroquois.

“If you look at some of the top Derby prospects, and want to compare back and forth, [Rated R Superstar], he didn’t get beat far by Brody’s Cause,” Casse said. “This horse, as a maiden he was the favorite in the Iroquois and got in a world of trouble and still ran respectably. His maiden race, when he won at Keeneland, it was a sea of slop. He came through horses and ran big. I’m excited about him.”

Conquest Windycity is out of the mare Lasting Appeal, a winning daughter of A.P. Indy and a full sister to Grade 2 winner Jump Start. Conquest Windycity races for Conquest Stables.

Casse won two allowances here last Friday. He also sent out Quiet Ruler to edge stakes winner Wolf Man Rocket by a head, for a Beyer Figure of 91.

“If he stays healthy, he’s got a big future,” Casse said of Quiet Ruler. “He reminds me a lot of Noble Bird last year. Hopefully Quiet Ruler will continue to do well. He’s a beautiful horse with a big stride.”

◗ Irad Ortiz Jr. will have the mount on Whitmore in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel next month at Oaklawn Park, trainer Ron Moquett said Wednesday. Whitmore was second in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes earlier this month at Oaklawn. The Rebel is March 19.