Secret Circle gave Bob Baffert his third straight victory in Oaklawn Park's $500,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) when the highly talented colt wore down Scatman and held off a late bid from Optimizer to win the prestigious Kentucky Derby prep race by three-quarters of a length.
Under an excellent ride from Rafael Bejarano, Secret Circle settled into the third position early on as Unbridled's Note and Scatman set a moderate pace of :23.43 and :47.09. Cyber Secret was along the rail racing in fourth. Sabercat, Adirondack King, and Najjaar were among the early trailers.
The positions remained relatively unchanged as the field moved down the backstretch, but rounding the final turn Cyber Secret shifted off the rail to commence a three-wide bid for the lead, briefly locking the heavily favored Secret Circle into a pocket. Adirondack King was also lodging a strong bid on the far outside.
As the field entered the homestretch, Scatman left Unbridled's Note behind and kicked on for home. Secret Circle, having found racing room, was charging hard on the far outside. Jake Mo was down along the rail in third, while Cyber Secret and Adirondack King were beginning to flatten out.
Inside the eighth pole, the race appeared to be a replay of the second division of the Southwest Stakes (gr. III), run here at Oaklawn last month, with Scatman and Secret Circle dueling gamely for the lead. However, late in the stretch, Secret Circle powered clear from his rival and appeared to be on his way to an easy win.
But then, out of the clouds came Optimizer, closing furiously down the center of the racetrack at odds of 25-1. He briefly appeared capable of catching the heavy favorite, but Secret Circle held him off late to score in good fashion, stopping the clock for a mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.55.
Scatman held on to third over Jake Mo, with Cyber Secret rounding out the top five.
-Keelerman
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