Horton in search of third Rebel Stakes win with Ben Diesel

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Willis Horton is not your typical 82-year-old.

The owner has about 25 horses in training. He’s hands on with a sizable cattle operation at his farm in Arkansas. And’s he’s looking to win the Grade 2 Rebel for the third time since 2013 on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

Horton will be represented in the $1 million race by Ben Diesel, who is a son of his 2013 winner Will Take Charge. Horton also won the Rebel with Long Range Toddy in 2019.

Both of the Rebel winners were ridden by Jon Court, who has the mount on Ben Diesel. The horse enters the Kentucky Derby points race off a third-place finish to Rebel favorite Newgrange in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest here Jan. 29.

“He’s a homebred, and I’ve had real good luck with his full sister Will’s Secret,” Horton said Tuesday. “She’s a graded stakes winner. He’s a good horse. He might not win Saturday, but I expect him to be one-two-three.

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“I like the way he handles himself and his breeding, and the longer the race the better he’s going to like it.”

Ben Diesel has made four starts, winning at the Rebel distance of 1 1/16 miles in his career debut last October at Churchill Downs. Following the maiden race he ran fourth in the track’s Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. This year at 3, Ben Diesel was a troubled seventh in the $250,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn before his strong third in the Southwest.

Horton said Ben Diesel is the nickname his grandson-in-law Benjamin had as a child. Dallas Stewart trains the horse, as well as Will’s Secret, who last year ran third in the Kentucky Oaks.

“We gave her a little break,” Stewart said. “She had a great year.”

Stewart said she will return to the stable this spring to prepare for a 4-year-old campaign. As for Ben Diesel, Stewart also is excited about his future.

“He’s just a standout individual to look at,” Stewart said. “You’d be hard-presssed not to use the whole boot of dinero to buy him. He’s that good-looking.”

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Stewart and Horton have already had stakes success this meet, taking the $150,000 Poinsettia in December with Last Samurai. Horton said Last Samurai is a candidate for the track’s Grade 3, $500,000 Essex on March 19.

As for the millionaire Long Range Toddy, he was sold about two weeks ago to owners who expressed an interest in running him in Dubai, Horton said.

Horton’s home track is Oaklawn and when he’s not at the races he’s busy at his farm. He recently delivered nine calves as part of his cattle operation.

“I’m reducing it,” he said. “It’s still large. I’m still running around 350 momma cows.”

Curly Tail, a 3-year-old colt by Curlin, goes in a maiden special weight for Horton on Saturday.

“I’ll be there Saturday,” Horton said.