Far Right eyes Southwest or Rebel

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Far Right’s win in the first 3-year-old prep on Oaklawn’s road to the Kentucky Derby delighted his trainer, Ron Moquett. Not only is he excited to have a promising horse in the barn, but the win in the $150,000 Smarty Jones on Monday came in Moquett’s home state of Arkansas.

“I’m the chief cheer-master of Oaklawn,” said Moquett, a 43-year-old native of Fort Smith. “I appreciate how many fans come out here, and I appreciate how many are educated, true horse lovers.”

Moquett said Tuesday that Far Right emerged from the Smarty Jones in good order and that plans for his next start are to be determined by owners Harry Rosenblum and Robert LaPenta. The options being debated are the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest on Feb. 16 or awaiting the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel on March 14. Both races are at Oaklawn.

“I’ll defer the decision to the owners, and ultimately, the horse,” Moquett said.

Far Right had one rival beat early in the Smarty Jones, then came with a determined run up the rail to win the one-mile race by 1 3/4 lengths over Bayerd. Far Right earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 89. Moquett said he walked away from the Smarty Jones excited for more distance for Far Right. It will be on offer with a 1 1/16-mile trip for both the Southwest and Rebel.

“I was concerned the distance would be a little short and was also concerned about the short stretch,” Moquett said of Monday’s one-mile race, which ended at the sixteenth pole at Oaklawn.

Mike Smith came in from Southern California to ride Far Right, and Moquett said he would like to see Smith continue to team with the horse.

Bayerd, second in the Smarty Jones one start after winning the $250,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, will be considered for the Southwest, trainer Steve Asmussen said Tuesday.

Bayerd has won all of his races on the front end, but he showed a new dimension in the Smarty Jones, when he sat in fourth behind dueling leaders American Sailor and Mr. Z.

“I was very pleased with him,” said Asmussen, who trains Bayerd for Clark Brewster. “Obviously, the race showed a lot of speed. He settled in behind them, took quite a bit of dirt, made a nice punch.”

Bayerd shipped in from Fair Grounds to Asmussen’s division at Oaklawn.

“I’m anxious to see how he goes back to the track here,” Asmussen said. “At this point, speaking with Clark, we’re going to leave him here, see how he trains, and possibly go on to the Southwest. With him running respectable over the surface, we can consider pointing him at the Southwest.”

Mr. Z was the favorite in the Smarty Jones. He shook free of his pace rival at the top of the stretch then veered out sharply in the lane. He came back late to save third.

“That was a complete surprise to me,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Tuesday. “The horse is fine. Obviously, we’ve got to correct some things. I think it’s mental, and we’ll have to reach in our bag of tricks and correct things.”

Lukas, who trains Mr. Z for Zayat Stables, said the horse would advance to the Southwest.