Southwest

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides his analysis for Saturday's quartet of GI Kentucky Derby prep races. GIII Holy Bull S. - Last year's jaw-dropping GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) finds a perfect landing spot to launch his sophomore season versus seven overmatched rivals. Not worth trying to beat him here, even if he's closer to 1-9 than his 3-5 morning-line quote. I can't see him defeating the recently crowned 2023 champion 2-year-old, but how about Domestic Product (Practical Joke) to...

Following a two-week delay as Mother Nature packed a powerful winter punch, a pair of 3-year-old heavyweights are set for round two in Saturday's GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park. Recently crowned champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) capped a perfect, three-for-three season closing smartly into a hot pace after covering plenty of ground to capture the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last out Nov. 6. The Godolphin homebred previously stalked and pounced with authority in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3. Regular rider Luis Saez...

In the world's current state of affairs, a lot can change in a few months' time. Racing is no different. One only has to go back to November to remember when Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was the undisputed leader of his age group. But an odds-on loss on the sport's biggest stage took the bloom off of his rose for some, and these days, despite being a multiple Grade I winner, one could argue he is a forgotten colt as the GI Kentucky Derby trail kicks...

After canceling its stakes-filled Presidents' Day Weekend cards due to inclement weather last week, Oaklawn Park has once again canceled racing for this coming week, which totals four lost days of racing from Thursday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Feb. 21. The track announced in a tweet that the five stakes scheduled for this weekend will be moved to next week with further details to follow. Among the races that have now been postponed twice is the GIII Southwest S., which was expected to feature the 3-year-old debut of champion Essential...

Gold Street (Street Boss) will carry a three-race winning streak into Monday's $750,000 GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park. The bay has been perfect since earning his diploma by seven lengths at fourth asking at Churchill Downs Nov. 23. He captured the Sugar Bowl S. in his stakes debut at Fair Grounds Dec. 21, then stretched to two turns for the first time for a front-running score with a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in this track's Smarty Jones S. Jan. 24. All three of his victories have come over...