One Liner's next start undecided after Southwest Stakes victory

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The undefeated One Liner, who popped a Beyer Speed Figure of 102 for his win Monday in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, was traveling Tuesday, headed back home to Palm Beach Downs in South Florida.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said plans for the horse are to be determined, but that prior to the Southwest, in conversations with the ownership of One Liner, the feeling was the horse might be a candidate to have just one additional prep race ahead of the Kentucky Derby on May 6. That sentiment was still in play Tuesday

“Until we get him home and assess how he is, we’ll take it day by day,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said if One Liner does run once more, he prefers a start either four or five weeks out from the Kentucky Derby. That puts races like the Florida Derby at Gulfstream on April 1 or the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland or Wood Memorial at Aqueduct – both on April 8 – as the races currently under consideration.

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"We probably won't return for the Rebel," Pletcher said, referring of the next Derby prep at Oaklawn, on March 18. The Arkansas Derby is April 15.

But even if One Liner passes on the Rebel, his ownership will still be represented in the Grade 2, $900,000 race. The partnership of WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Bloodstock also has American Anthem, a horse trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday would be pointed to the Rebel.

In the Southwest, One Liner broke on top from post 10 in the 12-horse field, stalked the pace, and overtook Petrov in the stretch for a 3 1/2-length win. He covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:41.85, the best Southwest clocking since the race was moved to that distance in 2013.

One Liner is now undefeated in three starts. The Southwest was his first start in a stakes and his first around two turns. It also represented his first race on the road.

“I thought he handled everything very professionally,” Pletcher said Tuesday. “Very proud of him, proud of his effort. He’s perfect so far, kind of in three different scenarios. On three different tracks. He continues to step up each time we ask him to do so.”

One Liner is a son of Into Mischief and from the female family of Grade 1 winner Albertus Maximus. He earned 10 Kentucky Derby eligibility points for his win in the Southwest and ranks ninth on the points list administered by Churchill Downs.

Petrov’s runner-up finish in the Southwest came one start after he ran second in the $150,000 Smarty Jones here Jan. 16. For his effort Monday, he earned a career-high Beyer of 96.

“I think he’s progressing,” co-owner and trainer Ron Moquett said. “I think that there’s more there, some more mental development and seasoning. We’re going to see even bigger.”

Petrov chased pacesetter Uncontested in both the Southwest and Smarty Jones.

“We found ourselves closer than what we really had planned on being,” Moquett said. “We kind of thought we’d have had [One Liner’s] trip. We thought that [One Liner] would be up there doing the dirty work and we would be able to jump on them.”

Moquett said Petrov will make his next start in a 3-year-old prep at Oaklawn.

“Just like always, he writes his set list. He tells me what to do,” Moquett said. “Obviously, we’re staying close to the house. At least we’ll have that advantage. It worked out well for a shipper this time. We’ll stay here whether the Rebel or [Arkansas] Derby, or both. I always felt more comfortable in my backyard, even when you’re running with someone of equal or greater talent. It’s always comfortable in your surroundings.”

Lookin At Lee, a deep-closer who rallied for third in the Southwest, was making his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5. He earned a Beyer of 83.

“I thought it was a nice first start back for him,” trainer Steve Asmussen said Tuesday. “I was pretty concerned with how much weight he gained over the break and just how much thicker he had gotten. I felt that he very much needed it.”

Asmussen said the intent is to advance to the Rebel with Lookin At Lee, who races for L and N Racing.

“The series at Oaklawn, I think suits him, because he’s going to need the races leading up to the [Kentucky] Derby,” Asmussen said.

“I think everybody feels when the races get longer, his style and who he is will be more effective.”

Uncontested was favored in the Southwest off his powerful victory in the Smarty Jones. He finished sixth Monday after setting fractions of 22.93 seconds for the opening quarter, 46.55 for the half-mile, and 1:10.98 for six furlongs. Past the quarter pole, he was overtaken by Petrov.

"Obviously, the pace was a little hotter than what you’d like,” said Wayne Catalano, who trains Uncontested. “He’s only a length and change up front, so I thought we had him in good position. The two prior races, he went to the lead and won pretty easy, so I thought we were in good shape.”

Catalano said Uncontested scoped clean after the race and looked good Tuesday.

“He was a little hot, a little tired yesterday after the race, but other than that, he’s doing good,” Catalano said. “It was a tough race on him. He’d never run that hard before.”

Catalano said plans going forward will be discussed with owners Harry Rosenblum and Robert LaPenta.

“We’ll see what we do next,” Catalano said.

Uncontested carried 122 pounds per the conditions of the Southwest, spotting each of his rivals between four and seven pounds. One Liner carried 115.

Moquett feels the Southwest will prove to be a key race in 2017.

“It was a quality group of horses, and I think this field will make some noise the rest of the year,” he said.

The Southwest shared a card with the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap won by Gun Runner. Oaklawn handled $6.1 million on the 10-race card from all sources, according to track official David Longinotti. The ontrack attendance was an estimated 23,500.

– additional reporting by Jay Privman