Field of nine entered in Southwest Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Jace’s Road, who is one of the leading points earners for the Kentucky Derby, drew post 3 in a field of nine for the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

The field for the Southwest also includes Arabian Knight, a debut winner at Keeneland who will be ridden by John Velazquez, and Corona Bolt, a Fair Grounds stakes winner to be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Entries for the 1 1/16-mile race were taken on Monday.

The Southwest will share a card with the $200,000 Martha Washington, a one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies led by local stakes winner Defining Purpose, and the $150,000 King Cotton that drew millionaire Gunite and multiple stakes winner Flash of Mischief.

The Southwest and Martha Washington are points races for the respective Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. There are points on offer for the first five finishers in each race, on a scale of 20-8-6-4-2.

Jace’s Road has accumulated 13 points for the Kentucky Derby to rank fifth on the current leader board administered by Churchill Downs. He is coming off a win in the $98,000 Gun Runner Stakes on Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds. His trainer, Brad Cox, said there were several reasons to target the Southwest.

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“The timing was good,” he said. “I think he’s doing really well. His last two works were really good at the Fair Grounds.”

Joe Talamo will ride Jace’s Road.

Cox also has entered Corona Bolt, who is 2 for 2 including a win in the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds, and Hit Show, an allowance route winner at Oaklawn.

The complete field for the Southwest from the rail with riders is: Sun Thunder, David Cabrera; Corona Bolt, Prat; Jace’s Road, Talamo; Western Ghent, Cristian Torres; Frosted Departure, Francisco Arrieta; Arabian Knight, Velazquez; Red Route One, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Hit Show, Manny Franco; and El Tomate, Orlando Mojica.

The Southwest will go as the 10th of 11 races with a scheduled post of 4:57 p.m. Central. First post has been moved up a half-hour to 12 p.m. to accommodate an additional race during daylight hours, said Pat Pope, racing secretary for Oaklawn.

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Defining Purpose, who is coming off a win in the Year’s End Stakes at Oaklawn, will break from post 4 in a field of six for the Martha Washington. Cabrera has the mount for trainer Kenny McPeek. Defining Purpose will meet the undefeated stakes winner Olivia Twist, who breaks from post 5 under Torres.

The Martha Washington is the first of the stakes on Saturday as race 5. The King Cotton follows as race 8. The card is the first major program of the season at Oaklawn, which opened in December.

The forecast for Saturday is a high of 50 degrees, with a 45 percent chance of an "afternoon shower or two," according to AccuWeather.

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