Baffert, Asmussen take aim at first Smarty Jones Stakes wins

By Bob Wisener

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Between them, Hall of Fame trainers Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen have dominated the Kentucky Derby preps at Oaklawn Park in recent years. Both have won multiple runnings of the Arkansas Derby and its major prep, the Rebel Stakes, and also scored in Oaklawn's Southwest Stakes.

Neither of the three high-profile trainers has won the Smarty Jones Stakes, though each is represented Monday in the $150,000 race for 3-year-olds, Oaklawn's first of four major Kentucky Derby preps. The two-turn mile drew a field of seven, each seeking his first stakes victory, with points to the top four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 basis for a possible start in the May 5 Derby at Churchill Downs.

Todd Pletcher isn't far behind with two Arkansas Derby winners in this decade and Rebel and Southwest victories last year with different horses. His Navistar, owned by Robert LaPenta, will scratch from Monday's race, however, due to flight issues into Oaklawn Park.

The Baffert-trained Mourinho furthers his education in his first start around two turns and outside California. Baffert adds blinkers to the Super Saver colt, a September debut winner at Santa Anita and second in two subsequent stakes races. Mourinho finished a length and a half behind next-out Springboard Mile winner Greyvitos in Del Mar's Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes Nov. 17.

Mourinho, a $625,000 March 2017 OBS product, keeps Drayden Van Dyke aboard and breaks from post five.

Asmussen sends out Combatant, a strong second in the Springboard Mile, and Tap Daddy, a two-time winner on turf from four starts. Both colts are by Scat Daddy and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds with Arkansan Willis Horton listed as a co-owner of Combatant, a $320,000 September 2016 Keeneland yearling purchase. Combatant, an October maiden winner at Churchill going one mile, breaks from the rail with Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard and Tap Daddy from post three under Luis Contreras.

Arched Feather, a three-race maiden, also is entered and gets Oaklawn veteran Jon Court in the saddle. Lone Rock was scratched from the Smarty Jones in favor of a $76,000 entry-level Oaklawn allowance race Saturday in which he ran fourth going one mile.

Bob Wisener covers horse racing for The Sentinel-Record of Hot Springs, Ark., where he was sports editor for 37 years.