Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn Park, Feb. 18, 2019 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: Super Steed, by Super Saver Trainer: Larry Jones Jockey: Terry Thompson Owner: Michael Pressley and Steed Jackson Beyer Speed Figure: 87 They’re giving away a lot of money at Oaklawn for their terrific 3-year-old program, but both the Southwest and its prep, the Smarty Jones, have looked like vastly inferior races to what has transpired in recent weeks at Fair Grounds and Santa Anita. The competition should be a lot tougher for the Rebel and Arkansas Derby, when it stands to reason horses would ship in from other locales for $1 million purses against locals representing the softest regional so far. :: DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with comments from Jay Privman and Mike Watchmaker SUPER STEED exited the Smarty Jones, and though he had some trouble in the race, it didn’t seem to account for how poorly he ran. But he bounced back in this race, making a sweeping, five-wide run on the far turn to score the upset in a roughly run race that produced an allowance-class figure. In this race, Super Steed lacked early speed and was near the back of the pack entering the first turn. He had to check and then was fanned wide owing to the commotion in front of him early on that turn, stayed in the middle of the track down the backstretch, then launched his rally while five paths wide on the far turn while moving from eighth to first. He dropped down to the three path coming off the bend, and held sway under an energetic hand ride after Thompson lost his stick near the furlong pole. SUENO, who finished second, just did clear the trouble on the first turn, settled behind the leaders while between rivals and under a pull around the first turn, and was bottled up with nowhere to go from the half-mile pole until heading into the lane. He split horses while in the three path, and made solid progress the rest of the way while having to alter course in deep stretch to go outside the winner. He’s a hard-knocking sort. LONG RANGE TODDY, who was third, was able to get over from his outside draw and ducked down to the rail early on the first turn when GRAY ATTEMPT drifted out. He then sat right behind Gray Attempt down the backstretch while under a snug hold, was forced to sit in traffic all the way to the top of the lane, then finally got a seam and came around Gray Attempt. He checked slightly off the heels of JERSEY AGENDA, then continued to make up a bit of ground through the final furlong. SIX SHOOTER, who was fourth, had no early speed, saved ground while well back around the first turn, launched a rally in the four path on the far turn, was fanned about five wide into the lane, continued to make progress but seemed to lose his punch in the very late going. This looks like the outer limit of his range. I think his best races in the future will be when he can make a late run around one turn. BANKIT, who was fifth, got floated out by Super Steed to about the six path early on the first turn, recovered to save ground, got to the rail down the backstretch, then had to tap on the brakes three furlongs out while still well back owing to traffic. He finally was wheeled out near the top of the lane, came off the bend six wide, then closed steadily while passing a few tired rivals. BOLDOR, who finished sixth, saved ground while midpack around the first turn, had nowhere to go for much of the far turn while saving ground, but didn’t make much of an impact through the lane when he finally had his chance. CUTTING HUMOR, who was seventh, bumped with NINTH STREET leaving the gate, then drifted out badly around the first turn after Ninth Street drifted out, which in turn caused Super Steed and Bankit to alter course. He was taken to the center of the track and advanced down the backstretch, vied for the lead while four paths wide three furlongs out, could not keep up with Super Steed when the winner flashed past him on the far turn, then tired. The trouble on the first turn and extended run on the backstretch did not give him his best opportunity to show if he belongs. He might not, but this was a rough go. Jersey Agenda, who was eighth, was hustled away from the gate by Ricardo Santana Jr., then put Gray Attempt in tight into the first turn. Gray Attempt came out awkwardly, compromising Jersey Agenda, too. He then settled into second just outside Gray Attempt for the run down the backstretch, was in the two path of a four-wide battle for the lead three furlongs out, was second into the lane, retreated steadily through the stretch and was on his wrong lead until well inside the furlong pole. Ninth Street, who was ninth, drifted out into the first turn to bump Cutting Humor and cause a chain reaction that impacted Super Steed and Bankit, too. He settled midpack while in the three path down the backstretch, had to check midway down the backstretch, was three wide into the far turn while alongside Super Steed, had to go four wide midway on the turn, but had little to offer through the lane. OLYMPIC RUNNER, who was 10th, broke a bit awkwardly but quickly got in gear to stalk the pace, had to drift to the four path early on the first turn to avoid Jersey Agenda, and appeared quite keen turning into the backside. He moved with Cutting Humor heading into the far turn to wind up in the three path, began to weaken midway on the turn, sucked out between rivals while tiring, and faded. Gray Attempt, who finished last of 11, had speed from his rail draw, then got rank and lugged out under Shaun Bridgmohan when appearing to be intimidated by Jersey Agenda early on the first turn. He quickly recovered and went right up to take the lead while inside Jersey Agenda, though he was pulling hard, perhaps still out of sorts from what transpired early in the race. He led into the far turn, began to weaken nearing the quarter pole, came under the whip heading into the lane but steadily retreated the rest of the way. I doubt Bridgmohan and Santana went out for dinner afterward.