Suddenbreakingnews seeks repeat of last in Rebel Stakes
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – O, for a horse with points!
Kentucky Derby qualifying points are what the owners of promising 3-year-olds crave seven weeks out from the Kentucky Derby, and plenty are at stake Saturday in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
The first four finishers in the 1 1/16-mile race that drew 14 horses – including Derby Watch members Suddenbreakingnews, Whitmore, and Cupid; Hopeful Stakes hero Ralis; Smarty Jones Stakes winner Discreetness; and Gulfstream Park shipper Cherry Wine – will earn Kentucky Derby eligibility points on a sliding scale of 50-20-10-5.
“Right now, there’s very few places that have enough points to get you where you want to go,” said Ron Moquett, co-owner and trainer of Whitmore. “Everyone in this is dreaming of the first Saturday in May. We’re definitely hoping to garner enough points to move forward.”
The Rebel is the main event on a card of three stakes worth $1.6 million in total. The champion Untapable uncorks her season in the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri, while Argentine sensation Idolo Porteno makes his North American debut against Upstart in the Grade 3, $350,000 Razorback Handicap.
Rebel Stakes (Race 10)
KEY CONTENDERS
Suddenbreakingnews, by Mineshaft
Last 3 Beyers: 93-77-74
◗ He closed with sweeping authority to win the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest on Feb. 15 at Oaklawn. Suddenbreakingnews trailed from post 13 before proving 2 3/4 lengths best under regular rider Luis Quinonez.
“He wasn’t involved much early, but that was more necessity of the post position,” said trainer Donnie Von Hemel. “I thought from the three-eighths pole home, it was as good a run as I’ve seen a horse make here in a long time.”
◗ Suddenbreakingnews earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure for the win, his first start at 3. He will break from post 14 on Saturday.
“I think he’s doing well,” Von Hemel said. “A lot of times, you don’t know a horse is going to bounce until after the race. Is that a concern? Yes. Do I think it will happen? No. I think he’ll give a good account of himself. But with 14 horses, you can run good and just get a bad break somewhere and not get the job done. There’s a lot of nice horses in the race, so you better be ready to run your best race and get some racing luck.”
Ralis, by Square Eddie
Last 3 Beyers: 64-66-93
◗ The dominant winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful over seven furlongs last September at Saratoga, he is looking for his first two-turn win.
“I don’t think the two turns will be a problem,” said trainer Doug O’Neill. “He’s a big, tall horse. He covers a lot of ground. He’s got a good mind on him.”
◗ Ralis will be starting his season in the Rebel.
“The last couple of weeks, he’s really worked well,” O’Neill said, “so we started thinking about a Derby prep for him, and the Rebel just kind of fit into our timing best.”
◗ Ralis is looking to bounce back from a pair of off-the-board finishes, his most recent a 14th to stablemate Nyquist in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
“I think the Hopeful win took out of him more than he let on,” O’Neill said. “His last couple of races were subpar for him. We gave him time off, freshened him up, and he’s really come back full of energy and looks like his Hopeful Stakes form, like he did prior to the Hopeful.”
◗ Mario Gutierrez has the mount from post 2.
Whitmore, by Pleasantly Perfect
Last 3 Beyers: 89-86-69
◗ He looked like he might be on his way to victory in the Southwest until “reality set in,” Moquett said, as he caught sight of the late-running Suddenbreakingnews. Since then, Whitmore’s works include a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 on March 6 at Oaklawn.
“I’m hoping what he’s showing in the morning he transfers to the afternoons,” Moquett said. “He’s an improving horse.”
◗ Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard from post 12.
Madtap, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 89-76-59
◗ He enters off a six-length win in an optional $62,500 claiming route March 5 at Oaklawn. Trainer Steve Asmussen said there were a couple of reasons to target the Rebel.
“It’s how much he has improved and how well he’s doing at Oaklawn,” he said. “The turnaround was when we decided to geld him. He trains different. He’s a different horse.”
◗ Madtap will be coupled with maiden winner Creator.
“Madtap and Creator are both horses that I think the distance will help,” Asmussen said. “The Rebel is a very good opportunity for both of them to prove themselves on a racetrack they both won on. I think the horses are complementary to each other in the fact that Madtap has been showing considerable pace and Creator is a closer.”
The field also includes American Dubai, Cutacorner, Siding Spring, Spikes Shirl, and the coupled Gray Sky and Z Royal.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Creator. Trainer Steve Asmussen is 12-1-3-2 with a $1.08 ROI over the past five years with 3-year-olds in graded stakes following a maiden win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Cupid. Trainer Bob Baffert is 19-8-2-3 with a $3.88 ROI over the past five years with 3-year-olds in dirt route graded stakes following a maiden win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 11 Cherry Wine. Trainer Dale Romans is 40-1-3-5 with a $0.19 ROI over the past five years in dirt route graded stakes following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan