Slow Down Andy has Southwest or Robert Lewis on schedule
ARCADIA, Calif. – Slow Down Andy, upset winner of the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 11, is under consideration for two Grade 3 races in the next month – the $750,000 Southwest Stakes on Jan. 29 at Oaklawn Park or the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 6 at Santa Anita.
Trainer Doug O’Neill said Friday that Paul Reddam, who owns Slow Down Andy with his wife, Zillah, will make a final determination on a race goal.
The Southwest Stakes is run at a mile, while the Lewis is run at 1 1/16 miles.
Slow Down Andy won a stakes for the first time in the $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, finishing a length in front of heavily favored Messier, who is trained by Bob Baffert.
Slow Down Andy led in early stretch at Los Alamitos, lost his advantage to Messier, and regained the lead in the final sixteenth.
Since the Los Alamitos Futurity, Slow Down Andy has had two workouts, including five furlongs in 1:02.20 last Sunday. Slow Down Andy was fitted with a small set of blinkers for that exercise, which he is likely to wear in his next start, O’Neill said.
“He made that little erratic move down the stretch at Los Alamitos,” O’Neill said. “You might see him with French blinkers. It will be very minor.”
Slow Down Andy, a California-bred colt by Nyquist, has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $249,850.