Oaklawn Park: Sheltowee's Boy auditions for Rebel

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Sheltowee’s Boy could put himself in a position for a start in next month’s Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel based on his performance Thursday in the eighth race at Oaklawn Park. He’s seeking the second win of his young career in the optional $50,000 claiming route at a mile that carries first-level allowance conditions.

The race restricted to 3-year-olds drew a field of seven, including impressive maiden special weight winner Bitters ’n Bourbon.

Sheltowee’s Boy has shown talent from the start, as he won a maiden special weight sprint by more than six lengths in his debut last September at Indiana Downs. In his most recent out, he was second to the Southwest Stakes-bound Bourbonize in a first-level allowance route at Oaklawn on Jan. 10.

“He gives 100 percent every time you lead him over there,” said Brad Cox, who trains Sheltowee’s Boy for Sheltowee Farms.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Sheltowee’s Boy closed from next to last in the slop to finish four lengths behind Bourbonize last out, and Cox would like to see the horse stalking the pace Thursday.

“With the mile last time, we were kind of wanting to be a little more forwardly placed,” Cox said. “He didn’t get away bad. He just didn’t put himself up in the race. He did have a wide trip around the first turn. He put in a good effort.”

Joshua Navarro has the mount on Sheltowee’s Boy, who will break from the rail Thursday.

“If he was to win the race, we would have to look at the Rebel because there’s nowhere else for a horse that’s won two races, especially going long,” Cox said. “There’s not a whole lot of options with a horse like that, so the Rebel would be a possibility. We’ll let him tell us.”

Bitters ’n Bourbon is a threat to wire the field under Channing Hill. The horse used front-running tactics to win a maiden special weight at a mile in his second career start Jan. 18, when he took the field through an opening quarter in 46.40 seconds and kept going for a 4 1/2-length win. Ron Moquett trains Bitters ’n Bourbon for Robert Land and Becky Brockway.

Oaklawn was hit with some winter weather Tuesday as the main track was sloppy for works on an icy morning in the low 30s. The forecast for Thursday is cloudy and a high of 32 degrees, according to weather.com, but temperatures were to drop into the teens overnight Wednesday.