
Stars of Yesterday: Looking Back at Best Rebel Stakes Winners
The Arkansas Road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve continues with the Southwest Stakes and gives 3-year-olds a million reasons to chase their Triple Crown dreams — just like Mystik Dan did last year when he won the Southwest en route to his run for the roses triumph. Aside from the $1 million purse, the Oaklawn Park stakes will also provide 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers.
1. Gaming (2-1 morning-line odds): Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is back in the Kentucky Derby hunt and he has a top contender in this son of Game Winner. He was a disappointing third as a heavy favorite in the Los Alamitos Futurity but was a game second before that in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA. A sharp recent workout builds confidence in the notion Baffert shipped him here because he expects an improved effort.
JOCKEY: Juan Hernandez; TRAINER: Bob Baffert
2. Publisher (12-1): Still a maiden, but ran a huge speed figure while second in the mud on this track. Give him a close look if it rains.
JOCKEY: Erik Asmussen; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
3. Monet’s Magic (15-1): Has back-to-back wins at the maiden/allowance level but will need to take a step forward to be a main threat in this field.
JOCKEY: Francisco Arrieta; TRAINER: Ben Colebrook
4. Tiztastic (10-1): Closed 2024 with a nice third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Has put in some solid workouts for his 3-year-old debut and merits major consideration.
JOCKEY: Keith Asmussen; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
5. Render Judgment (15-1): Was a distant third in the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds. Adds blinkers and that could help his cause.
JOCKEY: Emmanuel Esquivel; TRAINER: Ken McPeek
6. Sandman (5-1): Looked good in final start as a 2-year-old, winning an Oaklawn allowance race in solid time. Should be closing late and will welcome a fast pace.
JOCKEY: Cristian Torres; TRAINER: Mark Casse
7. Patch Adams (5-2): Another talented 3-year-old making his stakes debut for trainer Brad Cox. Comes off a lopsided maiden win at Churchill Downs in November in very fast time. Gets Flavien Prat in the saddle, so you know the connections mean business.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Brad Cox
8. American Promise (8-1): Another coming off a big win in the mud. Rain definitely would help this maiden winner’s chances.
JOCKEY: Tyler Bacon; TRAINER: D. Wayne Lukas
9. Bon Temps (30-1): He’s still a maiden after three tries and, though he was fourth in the Smarty Jones Stakes, he’s a legitimate longshot here.
JOCKEY: Nik Juarez; TRAINER: D. Wayne Lukas
10. Speed King (15-1): Has a high cruising speed which may help to overcome the outside post. Was second in the Remington Springboard Mile in just his second start and seems to have a bright future ahead of him.
JOCKEY: Rafael Bejarano; TRAINER: Ron Moquett
THE PICK: Gaming
LIVE LONGSHOT: Speed King
SUPERFECTA: 1-7-6-10