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.
Haskell Invitational Picks for Monmouth Sunday
29 July 2016The 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....
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