Dublin has bullet workout for Southwest

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Dublin had his major work for the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes on Tuesday morning, going a bullet six furlongs under jockey Terry Thompson at Oaklawn. Thompson will have the mount in the Southwest, said D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Dublin.

Dublin is the most accomplished 3-year-old at Oaklawn, having won the last year at Saratoga. He will be making his first start of the year in the Southwest.

The one-mile race will be run on Feb. 15 as the first of two preps for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.

On Tuesday, Dublin worked second set after the renovation break, coming out about 9:20 a.m. on a 43-degree day, accompanied by a pony ridden by Lukas. He back-tracked to past the wire, then turned around and went into his work at the six-furlong pole. Dublin broke off behind a pair of workmates, going his first three furlongs in 36.60 seconds, according to clockers.

He was angled off the rail into the turn and covered four furlongs in 49. Dublin proceeded to draw even with his company in the stretch, through five furlongs in 1:01, then overtook them in the final sixteenth. In the late stages, he was kept to task by Thompson, covering the distance on a track listed as fast in 1:14. Clockers carried Dublin galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27.80

"He broke off about three, four lengths behind them and ended up three or four lengths in front of them," Lukas said. "We wanted to let him catch a little dirt in his face, so we let him sit in behind them and he did catch quite a bit."

Lukas said the work was the more serious of two final drills he has planned for the horse leading up to the Southwest.

"It was kind of we wanted to tighten down on him a little bit and see where we were at and see how he responded and he passed all the tests beautifully," said Lukas.

Back at the barn, Dublin was dragging his hotwalker around the shed row while cooling out.