Chief Know It All pointing for Southwest Stakes

Chief Know It All is pointing for the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds Feb. 20 at Oaklawn, trainer Brad Cox said Thursday afternoon. The colt, in his 3-year-old and two-turn debut, was a front-running two-length winner of a Jan. 27 first-level allowance/optional claimer at a mile under Joe Rocco Jr.

 

The 1 1/16-mile Southwest would mark the stakes debut for Chief Know It All, a gray son of Flashy Bull who races for his breeder, Louisville, Ky.-based Lucky Seven Stable (Mike Mackin).

 

“I know it’s going to be tough,” Cox said. “He’s going to be up against it – solid race. As long as he’s doing well, we’ll give him an opportunity.”

 

Chief Know It All had a 1-0-3 record from five starts last year. In his final start at 2, he ran third behind winner Guest Suite in a first-level allowance/optional claimer Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. Guest Suite went on to capture the $200,000 LeComte Stakes (G3) Jan. 21 at Fair Grounds.

 

Lucky Seven Stable campaigned one of the top 3-year-olds at the 2001 Oaklawn meeting in Crafty Shaw, who finished third in the Southwest, won the $100,000 Rebel Stakes (G3) and ran seventh in the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G2) for now-retired trainer Pete Vestal.

 

Other locally based horses pointing for the Southwest include Uncontested, Petrov, Warrior’s Club and Lookin At Lee. Uncontested, Petrov and Warrior’s Club ran first, second and fourth, respectively, in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 16. Lookin At Lee ran fourth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

 

The Smarty Jones is Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby preps, a series that continues with the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 18 and $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 15.

 

The Southwest offers 17 points (10-4-2-1 on a sliding scale) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the $2 million Kentucky Derby (G1) May 6 at Churchill Downs.

 

Nominations to the Southwest close Friday.