Market King likely for either Blue Grass or Arkansas Derby

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas is debating what course of action to take with Market King, who finished third behind Omaha Beach and champion Game Winner in the second division of the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes last Saturday at Oaklawn.

Market King has developed rapidly during the meet. He was a maiden special weight winner over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 9, then set the pace and finished a close third in an allowance over six furlongs Feb. 24. In the Rebel, Market King set the pace after breaking from the rail and finished 8 1/4 lengths from the top two, who were separated by a nose. Market King earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 83.

“It was a good race,” Lukas said. “The thing that I liked about it, it was a move forward. It was a move forward for him in every way. I thought he was a little heavier than he should be, so I’m sure the race, and the six furlongs, will put him in a good spot. He’ll be a little tighter than he’s been, and he’ll be a little bit stronger. We did most of the heavy lifting in the race.

“Let’s be honest. The two that beat him were better. We might have been a little closer with a little seasoning or whatever, but in my estimation, those two are the best in the country, from just observation of watching races in Florida, and Louisiana, and California. I thought these were the two stars of the division so far, and you got prove it every week when you’re on the Derby trail, but I was impressed with them, the way they ran.”

As for Market King, Lukas and owners Robert Baker and William Mack are looking at the Grade 2, $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 6 or the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 13 at Oaklawn.

“He’s got an affinity, obviously, for this racetrack,” Lukas said, “so now do you switch racetracks and go to Keeneland and take a chance that he’s going to like that, too? I think he will like Keeneland.”

Market King, a son of Into Mischief, was a $550,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September in 2017.