Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Rebel Stakes field shapes up

Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 5 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.

In the wake of this major weekend on the trail, a pair of 2018 Kentucky Derby preps are set for next Saturday, with Oaklawn Park’s Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes undoubtedly the bigger of the two.

Oaklawn’s publicity department as of now reports, per the racing office, that anywhere between eight and 10 contenders are expected to run in the final local test before the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

No surprise here: Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert should have the favorite as Solomini makes his first start since beating next-out stakes winners McKinzie and Instilled Regard to the wire in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity.

“He’s sort of a lazy, grinder kind of horse, but he shows up in the afternoons,” Baffert said in a recent interview with the Horse Racing Radio Network. “That’s one thing about him. He has a lot of heart. Prat — (jockey) Flavien Prat — he’s high on him. He says, ‘He’s lazy, but he just keeps going.’ He doesn’t get tired.”

Solomini tuned up Saturday with a final West Coast workout of five furlongs in 59 seconds. It was the bullet breeze from 81 drills at that distance.

Baffert has won a record six Rebels, all since 2010.

Other anticipated headliners going 1 1/16 miles include Magnum Moon, un-raced as a 2-year-old but unbeaten in both his starts for trainer Todd Pletcher this year; plus the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes runner-up Combatant and third-place Sporting Chance.

Next weekend's other Derby prep runs over Turfway Park's synthetic surface in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (formerly the Spiral Stakes).

Here's a glance at the Rebel field:

Triple Crown odds open

So, with all this Sunday hype surrounding Justify's allowance win, why not share this?

The Wynn Las Vegas has opened wagering on a member of this 3-year-old crop to win the Triple Crown. Of course, the bet encompasses all horses, but anyone willing to put down some money at this point would probably have Justify in mind.

As for the odds…

Yes: +700

No: -1000

Derby links

• With McKinzie’s disqualification from a win in the Grade 2 San Felipe the talk of Santa Anita Park’s shed row, the track’s stable notes revealed a rematch with Bolt d’Oro could be in the cards next out.

• Enticed will return to Florida to train, but Kiaran McLaughlin has him probable to return to New York for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial as a final prep for the Kentucky Derby. “He's a big sound horse with a great mind,” McLaughlin said. “We just want to keep him the way he is.”

• Quip, the longshot winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, delivered for trainer Rodolphe Brisset the former Bill Mott assistant’s first stakes win. Despite lack of recent races, “We’ve been putting a lot of work into him,” the trainer noted.

The works

Catholic Boy — The drill happened Saturday, but was reported to Equibase Sunday. He’s headed to the Grade 1 Florida Derby as a final prep off a runner-up in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis. In his second work back, he went five furlongs in 1:01.40 at trainer Jonathan Thomas’ Florida base, Bridlewood Farm.

Combatant — Leading the Asmussen charge in the Rebel Stakes, he has worked consistently at Oaklawn Park, with a final breeze Sunday of a half mile in 51.60 (42/52). An easy work the week before a race is typical for the Hall of Fame trainer.

High North — Fifth last out in the Grade 2 Risen Star, he could appear in the Rebel for trainer Brad Cox, with four furlongs Sunday at Fair Grounds in 48.60 seconds (7/57) indicating the son of Midnight Lute could be ready to run.

Reride — Reportedly going to the UAE Derby after an impressive score in the Mine That Bird Derby last out at Sunland Park, another from the Asmussen barn put in 4/8 in 51.80 (50/57) on Sunday at Fair Grounds. It was a first work back toward the March 31 challenge at Meydan.

In case you missed it...

Saturday’s Derby Daily report outlined which contenders we believe to be locked into the Kentucky Derby field on points leaving this weekend’s preps.

• Catch up with all the latest Derby news by reading past editions of HRN’s Derby Daily report.