Southwest winner becomes one to watch for in the future
HOT SPRINGS — The Southwest Stakes produced a potential favorite for the upcoming Kentucky Derby prep at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Fans should keep an eye on Feb. 22, when the $1.25-million, Grade II Rebel Stakes will be run, to see if the same horse shines again.
Sandman, after a tangled start, finished second to the front-running Speed King, who won the first $1 million, Grade III Southwest Stakes by a length. The purse was increased in the offseason following the success of 2024 winner Mystik Dan, trained by Ken McPeek, who clinched victory in the 150th Kentucky Derby in May.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano found himself at the forefront aboard Speed King, a Volatile colt trained by Ron Moquett for Triton Thoroughbreds. Speed King settled on the backstretch, and Bejarano reported, “The horse, I think he can go a mile and a quarter. He’s improving every time he runs. I think this is a nice horse.”
Bejarano accompanied Moquett to Oklahoma City for the Dec. 13 running of Remington Park’s Springboard Mile, a race that contributes points towards the Derby. Although Speed King, a debut winner at Churchill Downs, tired in the stretch and placed second, he earned five points for his effort. His victory in the Southwest secured him an additional 20 points.
Coal Battle, the Springboard Mile winner, opted out of this race after claiming victory at Oaklawn’s $300,000 Smarty Jones on Jan. 4. Moquett celebrated his first Southwest Stakes victory since Far Right, who was owned by Little Rock horseman Harry Rosenblum, won in 2015. Moquett’s previous contender, Whitmore, went on to compete in the 2016 Kentucky Derby and became the sprint champion in 2020.
“There were some nice horses here (Saturday), and we were able to get them today,” Moquett remarked, “and I’m sure we’ll line back up and try again.”
Sandman, a previous winner at Oaklawn under Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, faced challenges right from the start. Jockey Cristian Torres explained, “He lost the race at the start. He’s a nice horse and responded really well when I asked him at the three-eighths (pole). But definitely, the start cost us. He just stumbled out of there. He was standing perfect.”
Torres added, “It happens a lot in horse racing, but I’m happy with the way he finished up. With all the training he missed due to weather, he ran a big, big race. I’m very happy, and we’ll get them next time.”
Tiztastic, trained by Hall of Fame member Steve Asmussen, took the show spot, finishing ahead of Patch Adams, who had a strong finish following early difficulties. Patch Adams, coming off a double-digit maiden win in November at Churchill Downs, went off as the 4-5 favorite.
Program choice Gaming, despite being a Grade I winner and Eclipse Award finalist for champion 2-year-old male, received lukewarm support from bettors. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has other Kentucky Derby contenders, although Gaming’s performance deviated from expectations this time. After Gaming’s eighth-place finish, jockey Juan Hernandez noted, “My horse broke so slow and (drawing the rail post) really doesn’t like being inside. He was kind of jumping around. He hated it today. It wasn’t him at all. He never was in the race. I missed the break, but that’s the only excuse I have.”
Speed King, who was narrowly beaten in the Springboard Mile, set up a steady pace with fractions of 24.11, 47.82, and 1:12.23 for six furlongs, conserving his speed. He surpassed local favorite American Promise late on the second turn and led by 3 1/2 lengths in midstretch. Speed King crossed the finish line in a swift 1:45.86 for 1 1/16 miles, returning a win payout of $30.60 as a 14-1 longshot. Following the scratch of McPeek trainee Render Judgement, nine horses participated in the race.
