Mary Rampellini's top 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park on March 16
Mary Rampellini ranks the top 3-year-old males and fillies pointing to races at Oaklawn.
Mary RampelliniMar 16, 2015
Mary Rampellini ranks the top 3-year-old males and fillies pointing to races at Oaklawn.
Handicapper Brad Free ranks the top 3-year-old males and fillies pointing to races at Santa Anita.
A group of 15 3-year-olds were entered Sunday for Saturday’s Grade 3, $550,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park, resulting in three exclusions due to the track’s 12-horse starting-gate limit, and Turfway not having an also-eligible list for its signature race.
American Pharoah confirmed his ranking as a major player on the Kentucky Derby trail on Saturday, when he overcame a host of difficult circumstances to win his 3-year-old debut by 6 1/4 lengths in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Lord Nelson, fourth last week in the San Felipe Stakes, will come back on just 15 days’ rest to compete March 22 in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park, Baffert said Saturday morning. Martin Garcia will ride.
Texas Red, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, worked an easy half-mile in 51.40 seconds on Saturday morning at Santa Anita in his first drill since returning to training after suffering from an abscess in his right front foot a little more than a month ago.
I expect American Pharoah to run huge in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The field is less than stellar. He looks like lone speed. And he is just that talented.
Trainer Ken McPeek is looking forward to a rematch with trainer Bob Baffert on Saturday in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. McPeek has the race’s probable second choice in The Truth Or Else, with Baffert sending out champion American Pharoah. Back in 2010, the trainers were part of a memorable renewal of the Rebel when Baffert-trained Lookin At Lucky overcame trouble for a head win over McPeek trainee Noble’s Promise.
Carpe Diem, Dortmund, and Upstart, each among the leading 2-year-olds from last year, all have already raced and won this year, creating buzz both individually and collectively toward the May 2 Kentucky Derby. But the horse adjudged the best of his generation last year is ready to step back in the ring.
Balance has been key for divisional champion American Pharoah, with classic influences on the top side of his pedigree thus far appearing to outweigh a female family slanted heavily toward speed.