Two-for-two Nadal faces seven rivals in $1 million Rebel Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Nadal will break from the rail in Grade 2, $1 million Rebel on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

The mile and a sixteenth race, which drew eight horses Wednesday, rewards its first four finishers with Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

Nadal is undefeated in two starts. He won a maiden special weight Jan. 19 at Santa Anita and the Grade 2 San Vicente at the same track in February. He will be blinkers off on Saturday. Trainer Bob Baffert has given the mount to Joel Rosario.

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Nadal and fellow Rebel runner American Theorem arrived Wednesday aboard a flight from Southern California, according to Paul McClelland, the stakes coordinator for Oaklawn.

Basin, winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful in September at Saratoga, launches his 3-year-old campaign in the Rebel. He will break from post 3 under Javier Castellano.

Steve Asmussen, who trains Basin, also entered Silver Prospector, winner of the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn, who will break from post 4 under Ricardo Santana Jr., and Excession, who starts from post 2 under Tyler Baze.

The complete Rebel field, from the rail, with riders is Nadal, Rosario; Excession, Baze; Basin, Castellano; Silver Prospector, Santana; No Parole, Joe Talamo; Three Technique, Luis Saez; Coach Bahe, Santo Sanjur; and American Theorem, Tiago Pereira.

The Rebel will share a card with two other mile and a sixteenth stakes, the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri and the $350,000 Essex Handicap.

The Essex goes as the eighth of 11 races Saturday. The field of seven from the rail is: Guest Suite, Night Ops, Laughing Fox, Bankit, Bravazo, Snapper Sinclair, and Pioneer Spirit.

The Azeri goes as the ninth. The field of seven from the rail is: Street Band, Mylady Curlin, Saracosa, Lady Apple, Serengeti Empress, Rahway, and Awe Emma. Rahway was a supplement, according to the overnight.

The Rebel will go as the 10th race, with a projected post time of 5:23 p.m. Central.

The forecast for Saturday is a high of 66 degrees with a 90 percent chance of periods of rain, according to The Weather Channel.