Oxbow, runner-up in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and romping winner of the LeComte Stakes (gr. III), has drawn post position ten in the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby (gr. I), to be run on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
The nine-furlong Kentucky Derby prep race has had a great deal of success in recent years, producing such stars as 2004 Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Smarty Jones, 2005 Preakness/Belmont winner Afleet Alex, 2007 Eclipse champion older male Lawyer Ron, two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, 2011 Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro, and 2012 Kentucky Derby/Preakness runner-up Bodemeister. With such an unprecedented success rate, it is entirely possible that the 2013 renewal of the race could produce yet another budding superstar.
Oxbow may just be that horse. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the son of Awesome Again has not been able to overcome poor trips in his recent starts, but possesses a great deal of speed and strong acceleration. Gary Stevens, who won the Kentucky Derby with Lukas in 1988 and 1995, has the mount.
Trainer Bob Baffert, who won the Arkansas Derby last year with Bodemeister, has entered two colts, led by the lightly-raced War Academy. The son of Giant's Causeway has only run three times, but was simply spectacular in winning an 8.5-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita Park last month. A repeat of that performance could make him very tough to beat on Saturday.
The other Baffert representative is Den's Legacy, who has finished second or third in four major stakes since winning the Generous Stakes (gr. III) on turf last year. A true veteran with eleven starts under his belt, Den's Legacy enters the Arkansas Derby off of a good third-place effort in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II).
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who already has Wood Memorial winner Verrazano and Louisiana Derby winner Revolutionary assured of spots in the Kentucky Derby, will try to add a third colt to his Louisville roster by sending out Overanalyze. Winner of the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) and Futurity Stakes (gr. II) as a two-year-old, Overanalyze finished a dull fifth last month in the Gotham Stakes (gr. II) -- his only start of the year thus far -- but has trained nicely since then and could be sitting on a big performance.
Rounding out the field are Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) winner Falling Sky, Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) runner-up Frac Daddy, Rebel Stakes fourth- and sixth-place finishers Texas Bling and Carve, Team Valor Rushaway Stakes runner-up Divine Ambition, and Southwest Stakes (gr. III) third-place finisher Heaven's Runway.
Post Positions:
1 Carve
2 War Academy
3 Divine Ambition
4 Falling Sky
5 Den's Legacy
6 Heaven's Runway
7 Texas Bling
8 Frac Daddy
9 Overanalyze
10 Oxbow
-Keelerman
No comments:
Post a Comment