Ralis among large cast expected for Rebel

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Large fields have been the norm for the first pair of preps for 3-year-olds at this Oaklawn meet, and more of the same is expected next Saturday for the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel.

The group of probables for the 1 1/16-mile race includes Ralis, the winner of last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, and Discreetness and Suddenbreakingnews, who won Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones Stakes and Grade 3 Southwest. Entries will be taken Wednesday.

“I look for 10 and would not be surprised if 11 or 12 showed up,” said Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope.

Oaklawn drew 11 for the Smarty Jones and the maximum gate of 14 starters for the Southwest, with the latter’s purse boosted from $300,000 to $500,000 at this meet. The Rebel also received a purse increase for this year’s running, up $150,000 from last year’s $750,000.

“That’s helping keep field size up,” said Pope.

Pope plans to card 11 races for Rebel Day. The program will include the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri and the Grade 3, $350,000 Razorback Handicap. Those races have drawn the two champions stabled at Oaklawn, with Untapable on course for the Azeri, according to trainer Steve Asmussen, and Idolo Porteno, the 2014 Horse of the Year in Argentina, to make his North American debut in the Razorback, according to trainer Ignacio Correas.

Ralis worked Thursday at Santa Anita for the Rebel, said trainer Doug O’Neill. He went five furlongs in 1:02.20. O’Neill said that provided the horse continues to train well, he will board a flight for Arkansas on Tuesday. He said Mario Gutierrez has the mount for Reddam Racing.

Aside from Suddenbreakingnews and Discreetness, the cast for the Rebel likely will include the locals Whitmore, American Dubai, Siding Spring, Cutacorner, and Creator.

Creator will be making his stakes debut off a 7 1/4-length maiden special weight win last month at Oaklawn for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 80. He is a $440,000 son of Tapit owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Asmussen.

“Steve likes him, feels like he’s a very talented colt, and we feel like we should give him a chance to get on the Derby trail,” said Elliott Walden, president and chief executive of WinStar.

Walden said the horse will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Gray Sky and Z Royal are being considered for the Rebel. Trainer Mark Casse has said Conquest Windycity is possible. Cherry Wine, an allowance winner at Gulfstream, is pointing for the Rebel, according to trainer Dale Romans.

Vorticity, the runner-up in both the Jerome and Withers stakes at Aqueduct, will miss the Rebel, trainer Chuck Lawrence said. The horse is based at Fair Hill in Maryland and had a fever this week.

“It was better [Wednesday], but he was off his feed up until today, and he just wasn’t himself,” Lawrence said Thursday. “I didn’t want to go into a big race having that in the back off my mind, that he’d had a couple of off days.”

Lawrence said Vorticity’s options include the Blue Grass, Florida Derby, Wood Memorial, and Arkansas Derby.

Dazzling Gem, who has won both of his career races at this meet, will miss the Rebel after a foot abscess cost him some training time, trainer Brad Cox said. The abscess popped Tuesday.

“So, we’re making progress,” said Cox.

Cox said Dazzling Gem’s work schedule going forward will determine if he goes in the Louisiana Derby, Blue Grass, or Arkansas Derby.

Jockey Florent Geroux, already lined up to ride Untapable in the Azeri, is scheduled to ride Idolo Porteno in the Razorback, Correas said.

Idolo Porteno is a Group 1 winner on dirt and turf but likely will target turf races long term. That path was one of the factors for engaging Geroux, said Correas, who has taken over the North American training of Idolo Porteno.

“For me, it’s a good match because I think he might have a certain future on the grass,” Correas said.

Idolo Porteno worked Tuesday at Oaklawn, going five-eighths in 1:02.60.

– additional reporting by Jay Privman, Mike Welsch