Dash Attack, after Smarty Jones victory, points to Southwest Stakes

The unbeaten Dash Attack was in good order Sunday following his clear win in the $250,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park and will target the track’s Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest, trainer Ken McPeek said.

The Southwest, at 1 1/16 miles, will be run Jan. 29.

Dash Attack has won both of his starts, and both have come at Oaklawn. He accounted for a maiden special weight at a mile on opening weekend, then came back and picked up 10 points for the Kentucky Derby in the Smarty Jones.

“No sense going anywhere,” McPeek said Sunday. “We’ll wait for the next one, the Southwest.”

In the Smarty Jones, Dash Attack came with a big closing run under David Cohen. He won by two lengths over Barber Road, while covering a mile in the slop in 1:39.44. Dash Attack earned a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 82. He is a son of Munnings and was bred by his co-owners, McPeek’s Magdalena Racing and Catalyst Stable.

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“We were thrilled with the race,” McPeek said. “This is a horse that we bred and raised in partnership with Rick Greenberg, Catalyst Stable, and we’ve got a full sister to him at the farm and still own his mother. It’s kind of from the bottom up. It’s tough to do that.

“We foal-out about 10 mares every season at Magdalena in Lexington. I own part of some of them, and some of them I don’t. It’s a part of our operation that works with the rest of our racing.”

Dash Attack is out of the mare Cerce Cay and is from the female family of Sunland Derby winner Song of Navarone. Dash Attack also races for Kevin Pollard and Patty Slevin.

“He’s a lovely horse and it’s a great start to his career,” McPeek said. “He’s climbing the ladder quick.”

McPeek now has three trainees among the top eight horses on the current Kentucky Derby points leaderboard maintained by Churchill Downs. Dash Attack is on that list alongside Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity winner Rattle N Roll and Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club winner Smile Happy. McPeek's strong team of 3-year-olds also includes last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Tiz the Bomb.

“We let Smile Happy and Tiz the Bomb stretch their legs a little, going three-eighths yesterday at Gulfstream,” McPeek said Sunday. “It was the first work back for them since they’ve had a small break. They’ll be in a weekend work schedule for the next several weeks and then we’ll decide what direction to take with them.”

Rattle N Roll is galloping at Gulfstream, McPeek said.

Barber Road, like Dash Attack, is now targeting the Southwest. He emerged from his runner-up finish in the Smarty Jones in good order, trainer John Ortiz said Sunday.

“He looks perfect,” he said. “He was happy this morning - bright-eyed, at the front of the stall. Nipping at everyone like a total colt.

“The Southwest is next on our radar.”

Barber Road picked up 4 points for the Kentucky Derby. He came into the race off a runner-up finish in the $200,000 Lively Shively at 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs.

“He showed a lot of ability,” Ortiz said of Barber Road's race in the Smarty Jones. “He proved that he belongs, to take a shot for Derby points.”

Barber Road is a son of Race Day owned by WSS Racing.

Oaklawn handled more than $8 million on its 10-race card Saturday, according to figures from the track. Attendance was an estimated 8,000.