Mineshaft Son Looks to Make the 'News' Again

Suddenbreakingnews | Coady

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Samuel Henderson's Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft), winner of the GIII Southwest S. Feb. 15, gets the slight morning-line nod in a loaded 14-horse renewal of Oaklawn's $900,000 GII Rebel S. Saturday evening. Never worse than second in six trips to the post, the Donnie Von Hemel trainee captured the Clever Trevor S. at Remington Nov. 6 and missed by just a nose to the reopposing Discreetness (Discreet Cat) in a sloppy Springboard Mile there Dec. 13. The gelding will have to contend with the 14-hole Saturday, but he broke from stall 13 in the Southwest, where he uncorked a powerful late rally down the center of the track to win convincingly.

Southwest runner-up Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) looks to get the better of the chalk this time for Robert LaPenta, Harry Rosenblum and Southern Springs Stables. A dominant debut winner at Churchill Nov. 6, the gelding finished fifth in the GIII Delta Downs Jackpot just two weeks later, but returned to winning ways sprinting in a local optional claimer Jan. 16. Also exiting the Southwest is American Dubai (E Dubai) (third), Siding Spring (Warrior's Reward) (fifth), Discreetness (seventh), Z Royal (Eskendereya) (eighth) and Cutacorner (Even the Score) (ninth).

Dale Romans was forced to call an audible when “TDN Rising Star” Cherry Wine (Paddy O'Prado) spiked a fever just a few days prior to an expected start in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 27, so he shipped him down to Hot Springs in hopes of getting the colt his first Derby points in this spot instead. The Frank Jones, Jr. and William Pacella runner broke through with an emphatic 9 1/4-length graduation at fifth asking in the slop at Churchill Nov. 28. The gray earned his Rising Star last time when charging home late to a decisive six-length victory against a strong optional claimer field going this distance in Hallandale Jan. 9.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert captured last year's renewal of this test with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) and hopes to score his sixth win in this event since 2010 with Cupid (Tapit). Fourth on debut sprinting at Los Alamitos last December, the Coolmore runner improved to second at Santa Anita Jan. 9 and romped by 5 1/4 lengths when extended to a route last time in Arcadia Feb. 7. Scratched from last weekend's GII San Felipe S. in favor of this test, the $900,000 KEESEP buy enters off a best-of-23 six panels in 1:11 3/5 there Mar. 11.

“With the large field, we need a good break and to get a good position and hopefully, he'll take it on from there,” Baffert's chief assistant Jimmy Barnes told the Oaklawn press office. “You need the trip. Hopefully, he's talented enough where he'll get out of the gate, establish position, and show us what he's really made of. He seems like he's improving and we're just testing the waters. You really don't know until they do it, but this our normal routine and we expect big things.”

Reddam Racing's GI Hopeful S. winner Ralis (Square Eddie) also ships in from California to make his seasonal debut. A dominant 5 3/4-length winner of Saratoga's seven-panel Hopeful last September at odds of 6-1, the Doug O'Neill trainee was a lackluster sixth next out in Belmont's GI Champagne S. a month later. The bay was equally disappointing last time when finishing last of 14 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Oct. 31, which was won by his champion stablemate Nyquist (Uncle Mo).

“The long layoff is always a concern,” said O'Neill to the Oaklawn press office. “It's ambitious, but when they're doing good you've got to take chances. This is chancey, but we have a lot of faith in Ralis. I can see where the outsider looking at his form would think 'What are you doing this for?' But we've seen enough from him in the mornings and enough in the afternoons to think that when he's doing this well, which he is right now, he deserves his chance. When he's right, which I think he is right now, he's a top horse.”

Hall of Fame finalist Steve Asmussen also sends out a pair of intriguing runners in WinStar Farm's Creator (Tapit) and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Madtap (Tapit). Creator took some time to put it together, but did so impressively last time with a late-running 7 1/4-length success over this track and trip Feb. 27. Madtap, who earned his diploma on grass in his Indiana unveiling last September, also enters off a dominant victory, romping by six lengths in a local optional claimer at this distance just two weeks ago.

 

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