Rowdy Rascal holds edge in Will Rogers Stakes

Rowdy Rascal will be looking for the third stakes win of his young career Tuesday when the 3-year-old starts as one of the top contenders in the $55,000 Will Rogers Stakes.

The one-mile race is restricted to 3-year-olds bred in Oklahoma.

Rowdy Rascal is the most accomplished member of the seven-horse field that includes recent allowance winner Inca Empire and the promising runners Cuatro Madres and Legionary.

Rowdy Rascal is moving back into the Oklahoma-bred ranks for the first time this year. When last seen in statebred company, he won back-to-back stakes at Remington Park. Those victories came in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile at six furlongs in October and the Don C. McNeill at a mile in November.

Rowdy Rascal closed his 2-year-old campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Springboard Mile on Dec. 17 at Remington. He’s raced twice since then, winning an allowance April 13 at Will Rogers and finishing third in a May 3 allowance. The latter start was a rare run in the slop for Rowdy Rascal.

Boyd Caster trains the son of Den’s Legacy for JT Stables and has given the mount to Jose Medina.

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Rowdy Rascal could get a stalking trip behind a few of his rivals, including Cuatro Madres. He is making his first start since Dec. 3, when he won an allowance sprint for Oklahoma-breds at Remington Park. Earlier in that meet, Cuatro Madres was third in the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile and second in the Don C. McNeill.

Cuatro Madres has been working at Lone Star Park for trainer Austin Gustafson, who wins at a strong 24 percent clip with horses returning from layoffs of 61-180 days, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form. Cuatro Madres is a son of Jimmy Creed who races for Mike Mazoch and Linda Mazoch. He will break from post 6 under Freddie Manrrique.

Legionary has been third in back-to-back conditioned allowances this meet at Will Rogers.

Inca Empire figures to be making his case through the lane. He used his closing kick to win a nonwinners-of-two lifetime allowance at a mile April 26 at Will Rogers. He defeated older horses in the race for Oklahoma-breds and earned one of the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figures, a 63.

Our Cornerstone earned a 64 last time in a sprint win over older rivals in a $7,500 conditioned claimer at Will Rogers. He moves back to two turns, and his maiden win came at that configuration at Delta Downs. The improving horse is a winner of three of his last four starts.