Plans for Class President up in the air; Silent Tactic to Arkansas Derby

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Plans for Rebel winner Class President are yet to be determined by his ownership and trainer Todd Pletcher, but the horse he edged, Silent Tactic, will continue on the Oaklawn Park road to the Kentucky Derby.

Class President shipped in from South Florida and was a nose winner of the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel on Sunday. He battled with Silent Tactic in the stretch and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91, a career-high for the horse who races for WinStar Farm, First Go Racing, and CHC, Inc.

Class President won the Rebel in just his third career start, and his first try at two turns. He long has had the confidence of his ownership and Pletcher.

“He’s always trained really well,” Pletcher said. “We had high hopes for him this summer, he had a minor setback, and we had to give him a little time. But he came back and trained just as well and showed talent in both of his starts and continued to train well. And we always felt like two turns was going to be his game, and we were glad to get the opportunity to show it.”

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Class President, who is a son of the Pletcher-trained champion Uncle Mo, could either train up to the Kentucky Derby or have another prep, Pletcher said. The path is being discussed with the owners. Class President earned 50 points for his win in the Rebel and is tied for second in Kentucky Derby points on the rankings administered by Churchill Downs.

Silent Tactic is in the midst of an outstanding meet at Oaklawn. He was second in the track’s first points race for the Kentucky Derby, the Smarty Jones, then came back and won the Grade 3, $1 million Southwest before just being edged in the Rebel, a race in which the conditions called for him to carry five more pounds than Class President. Silent Tactic also earned a career-high Beyer of 91.

“I thought his race in the Southwest was very good,” trainer Mark Casse said. “I wanted to see him put two of those back-to-back and he did that, which was very encouraging. I feel now that we definitely have a Derby horse. Maybe the extra five pounds got him at the end, but I was proud of him. He galloped out strong, and most importantly, he came out of the race in really good order.

“He seems to be thriving through all this. He was a bigger, stronger horse for this race than he was a month ago, and if he continues to grow, continues to get bigger and stronger, he’s going to be a force to be dealt with.”

Casse said Silent Tactic would remain at Oaklawn and run back in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby on March 28. Casse has won the race twice, with Classic Empire in 2017 and Sandman in 2025. Casse said Cristian Torres has the mount in the Arkansas Derby.

Silent Tactic also has 50 Kentucky Derby points.

Casse said Strategic Risk, who won the Smarty Jones over Silent Tactic and finished sixth in the Rebel, emerged from Sunday’s race in good order.

“He’ll stay here and maybe try to win one more time,” Casse said of the meet that runs to May 2.

He said Strategic Risk is a candidate for the $200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles April 18 at Oaklawn.

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