Mark Casse seeks the "hat-trick" in a high-voltage Southwest Stakes

The race was postponed last week due to bad weather and will award important points on the road to the Kentucky Derby

Strategic Risk is one of Mark Casse's cards in the Southwest Stakes / ADAM COGLIANESE

HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas (Special for Turf Diario).- With some delay due to weather issues, Oaklawn Parkresumes its path toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) this Friday with the running of the Southwest Stakes (G3), a US$ 1,000,000 race for 3-year-old colts over 1700 meters, which reignites the dream of the Triple Crown.

The race, which will be the 11th on the program—scheduled for 4:40 PM (local time)—is part of the select group of 4 qualifiers that the Arkansas racetrack offers heading to Churchill Downs and will distribute a total of 42 points for the Derby ranking, with a 20-10-6-4-2 scheme for the top five.

Originally scheduled for January 31, the Southwest had to be rescheduled after a severe winter storm forced the training track to close for nine days. It will also be the first time since its creation in 1968 that the race is held on a Friday, during a 12-race card starting at 11:30 AM.

The field initially gathered 14 entries, although the outlook cleared in recent hours with the confirmation of at least one major withdrawal: Litmus Test (Nyquist), the program favorite trained by Bob Baffert, will not participate.

Among those who remain are names with very different profiles, in a race that promises an intense development. Mark Casse, seeking his third consecutive victory in Derby points races at Oaklawn, will again present Strategic Risk(Noble Bird) and Silent Tactic (Tacitus), both owned by John C. Oxley, who come off a 1-2 finish in the Smarty Jones Stakes (L) in early January.

That race, over the same distance as now, was dominated by Strategic Risk, who won authoritatively by 4 1/2 lengths, ridden by Javier Castellano, while Silent Tactic finished strongly in his dirt debut, leaving a very positive impression.

“We are very excited about him,” Casse explained regarding Strategic Risk. “He can adapt to whatever pace is set up front. If they go fast, he can wait; if not, he’ll be near the lead.”

Regarding Silent Tactic, initially aimed at an allowance, the trainer admitted that the lack of long races in the program redirected him to the Southwest. “He has been training even better than before. There is plenty of speed in the race, and that could help him,” he noted.

One focus of attention will be D’code, who faces his stakes and two-turn debut after an impressive 8 1/4-length wire-to-wire victory in December. The son of the remembered Speightstown holds a shocking stat: he set the fastest time in Oaklawn history for a 2-year-old over 1200 meters (1m9s57/100).

“It’s a big challenge, but the horse is doing very well. We believe he can handle the distance,” stated his trainer H. Ray Ashford Jr.

Expectations are also high for Buetane (Tiz the Law), who will represent Bob Baffert, the all-time leading winner of the Southwest with six victories. The colt comes off a second-place finish in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) and closed his 2-year-old campaign as runner-up to champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in the Hopeful Stakes (G1).

“We’ll see how he responds to the two turns. He’s training very well,” the legendary trainer summarized.

Another name to consider is Liberty National (Maxfield), reappearing now at age 3 after a very meritorious second-place finish in the Gun Runner Stakes. His trainer Kenny McPeek was clear: “He had trouble at the start and still finished strong.”

Completing the field are Soldier N Diplomat (Army Mule), returning after good performances in G1 and G2 races; and Baytown Dreamer (Mendelssohn), Sleepingonfreedom (Independence Hall), and Rancho Santa Fe (Tapit), all with notable performances in the Smarty Jones.

The Southwest Stakes will be just the second step in Oaklawn’s route to the Derby, which will continue with the Rebel Stakes (G2) on March 1 and culminate with the Arkansas Derby (G1) on March 28, a race won last year by Sandman (Tapit), also trained by Casse.

This Friday, at an Oaklawn that beats again after the forced shutdown, a new page will begin to be written in the always exciting history of the Road to the Kentucky Derby.