Cox, Asmussen each have multiple starters in Rebel Stakes
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainers Brad Cox and Steve Asmussen on Monday entered a combined five of the 11 horses set to start in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
The first five finishers in the 1 1/16-mile stakes will earn Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 50-20-15-10-5.
The Asmussen and Cox entrants will occupy the first five spots in the starting gate for the Rebel.
Asmussen’s three entrants are Southwest runner-up Red Route One from post 3; impressive allowance winner Gun Pilot in gate 4; and sprint stakes winner Powerful in post 2.
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Cox has Champagne runner-up Verifying from the rail and Springboard Mile runner-up Giant Mischief in post 5.
Verifying figures to vie for favoritism with Reincarnate, who drew post 6 off his win in the Grade 3 Sham at Santa Anita.
Reincarnate will be making his first start for trainer Tim Yakteen after being based with Bob Baffert. If there had not been a trainer change, Reincarnate would have been ineligible for points in the Rebel. Churchill Downs is not accepting Kentucky Derby entries from Baffert because his trainee Medina Spirit was disqualified from victory in the 2021 Derby after testing positive for a medication banned on race day.
Reincarnate worked five furlongs Sunday at Santa Anita in 1:00.80, and will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Reincarnate earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 for his win in the Sham, while Verifying earned a 97 for a recent allowance win at Oaklawn in a race that has produced two next-out winners in Rebel entrant Gun Pilot and Two Eagles River. Two Eagles River, who won a Sunday allowance at Oaklawn with a Beyer Figure of 91, is being considered for the Arkansas Derby or Sunland Derby, according to his trainer, Chris Hartman.
Giant Mischief, Gun Pilot, Red Route One Reincarnate and Verifying are all members of the latest Daily Racing Form DerbyWatch compiled by David Aragona and Brad Free.
The Rebel has been slotted as the 11th race on a 12-race program that also features the Grade 3, $300,000 Honeybee, which drew 12, and the $250,000 Carousel, which drew 11. First post is 12 p.m. Central.
The Rebel field from the rail with riders is: Verifying, Florent Geroux; Powerful, Isaac Castillo; Red Route One, Cristian Torres; Gun Pilot, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Giant Mischief, Irad Ortiz Jr.; Reincarnate, John Velazquez; Confidence Game, James Graham; Talladega, Flavien Prat; Event Detail, Gerardo Corrales; Bourbon Bash, Mickaelle Michel; and Frosted Departure, Francisco Arrieta.
Frosted Departure won the Renaissance Stakes earlier in the meet and is coming off a third-place finish in the Southwest for trainer Kenny McPeek.
Confidence Game exits a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds for trainer Keith Desormeaux.
Event Detail is coming off a maiden special weight win at Turfway Park for trainer Paulo Lobo. He earned a Beyer Figure of 80.
Wet Paint will attempt to win her second straight Kentucky Oaks points race in the Honeybee. She will start from post 7. Cox has given the mount to Prat. Earlier in the meet, Wet Paint won the Martha Washington.
Her rivals in the Honeybee include Gambling Girl, the runner-up in the Busanda at Aqueduct. Ortiz has the mount for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Grade 3 winner Yuugiri will be looking for her second win at the meet when she starts from post 5.
AccuWeather’s forecast for Saturday is a high of 58 degrees and a 90 percent chance of rain. Weather permitting, the infield is scheduled to be open Saturday. Rebel Day is one of the biggest afternoons of the meet at Oaklawn.
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