The Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes March 19 with the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes taking center stage at Oaklawn Park in a superb betting race.
The field of 12, set to go a mile and a sixteenth on the main track, is led by 3/1 favorite Suddenbreakingnews who unleashed a furious rally to take the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes February 15 while making his seasonal debut. The Donnie Von Hemel trainee was a steady performer as a two year-old winning 2 of 5 starts and running second three times, but his Southwest score represented a significant jump in Beyer Speed Figures. The 93 he earned was 16 points higher than his best two year-old figure, suggesting added maturity and affinity for longer distances. As a son of Mineshaft out of an Afleet Alex mare, Suddenbreakingnews has the pedigree to be a serious Kentucky Derby horse.
Cupid (7/2) ships eastward from his Santa Anita base for trainer Bob Baffert while making his first start against winners. Purchased for $900,000 as a yearling, Cupid was impressive defeating maidens February 7 at Santa Anita, earning an 88 Beyer Figure while making his first start around two turns. The son of Tapit has a win and a placing in three career starts and could move forward even though the step up in class is formidable.
As the co-7/2 second choice on the morning line, Whitmore has won 2 of 4 starts and finished second behind Suddenbreakingnews in the Southwest despite a troubled trip. The Ron Moquett trainee posted a brilliant work March 6 at Oaklawn and appears to be entering the race in top form.
The field is set for the $1 million Haskell, where Nyquist will be trying to re-stake his claim as the top three-year-old in the country.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $300,000 United Nations Stakes. Scheduled to be run at a mile and three-eighths on the turf, the Grade 1 event has drawn a field of ten colts and geldings.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes, a key prep race for the Haskell Invitational (G1). The Grade 3 event will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth and has drawn a field of seven three-year-olds.
With five grade 1 races and a grade 2, the undercard for the June 11 Belmont stakes could be the best single day of racing on the calendar outside of the Breeders’ Cup.
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