GIII Southwest S.

Ted Bowman of Hot Springs' Speed King (Volatile) is being pointed to the GI Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles Mar 29, trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs said Sunday morning. The grey will be looking to rebound from a 10th-place finish in the GII Rebel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23. Speed King, who broke from post 10, was beaten 15 lengths by Coal Battle after chasing a hot pace. "I think there were a lot of variables in it," Moquett said. "My main thing is the horse...

J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables' Sandman (Tapit), who overcame a tangled start in the Jan. 25 GIII Southwest Stakes before closing from the back to finish second under Cristian Torres, will make his next start in the Feb. 22 GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, confirmed Mark Casse Sunday. Casse also said Sandman will remain at Oaklawn, where the trainer has a string in Hot Springs for the first time since 2019. The Rebel is Oaklawn's final major prep for the $1.5-million GI Arkansas Derby...

Saffie Joseph, Jr. has had some big days since he came to the U.S. from his native Barbados in 2011, but perhaps none bigger than last Saturday at Gulfstream Park. He had three stakes wins, including a score with Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhahaarar ({GB}) in the GII Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes and a win with Mystic Lake (Mo Town) in the GII Inside Information Stakes. But the one that really mattered was the victory by White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes....

The English polymath John Ruskin, who was always hard at work scribbling a well-timed observation for some future generation to co-opt, said when it came to the weather, "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." Well, bully for you Mr. Ruskin! Send him a going stick and put him to work on the nearest turf course. Some might care to offer quite a different observation after recent events. What...

Horses seem to always be at the center of Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway's life. As the story goes, the day Brent proposed he ran late because, of course, he was at the racetrack. Even though she was none too pleased, Sharilyn confirmed the end result was an affirmative one. By now you have probably heard how their ownership group 4 G Racing--which includes the couple and their twin son and daughter, Brent's cousin Lance Gasaway, and Daniel Hamby III--paired with Valley View Farm to reach one of the apogees in...

Oaklawn Park, forced to cancel a number of race dates this month--including this coming weekend's live racing--due to winter weather, has moved the entire GIII Southwest S. card to Saturday, Feb. 3. A GI Kentucky Derby points race, the $800,000 Southwest is worth 20 points to the winner and points on a scale of 10-6-4-2 to the second- through fifth-place finishers. Although the Southwest was originally scheduled for Jan. 27 and racing is currently scheduled for that date, several stakes races have been reshuffled at the Hot Springs oval due...

Oaklawn Park is pumping nearly $1 million more into the purses for its 3-year-old races, the track said in a release Wednesday. Oaklawn increased the purses of the four races pointing toward the GI Kentucky Derby a total of $600,000, with the GI Arkansas Derby bumped to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000; the GII Rebel S. going to $1,250,000 from $1,000,000; and the GIII Southwest S. and Smarty Jones increasing to $800,000 and $300,000, respectively. The purses for the three races for 3-year-old fillies with GI Kentucky Oaks aspirations were also increased,...

Keepmeinmind (Laoban) worked five furlongs in a bullet :59 at Oaklawn Tuesday morning in preparation for a start in the GIII Southwest S. Feb. 15. The fastest of 17 works published at the distance, the 3-year-old completed the final quarter-mile in a sharp :22.80, galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.80, seven furlongs in 1:25.40 and a mile in 1:40.40, according to local clockers. Accompanied by David Cohen, the winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. last November worked over a fast track following the second break to renovate the...