Derby works: Casse's Strategic Risk, Silent Tactic drill for Rebel

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse’s two projected starters for the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds had their final workouts for the March 1 race on a chilly Friday morning at Oaklawn.

Strategic Risk, with Kylee Jordan riding, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 just after the track opened for training. After a surface renovation break roughly two hours later, Silent Tactic covered a half-mile in 47.4 seconds under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres. The track was fast.

Strategic Risk and Silent Tactic, both stakes winners at the meeting, are among at least eight horses scheduled to be entered for the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, which is Oaklawn’s third Kentucky Derby qualifying race and offers 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers.

Casse is bidding for his fourth consecutive victory in a Kentucky Derby qualifying race at Oaklawn after capturing last season’s $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) with Sandman and the first two points preps this year.

Strategic Risk and Silent Tactic ran 1-2, respectively, in the Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 3. Silent Tactic passed nine horses in the final three-sixteenths of a mile en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.

Silent Tactic was working for the first time since the Southwest. Clockers caught the son of Tacitus covering his opening quarter-mile in 23.8 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.2 and six furlongs in 1:14.4.

“This is probably the best work I’ve seen from him,” said assistant trainer Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse’s Oaklawn division. “Normally, he’s not really the best work horse. He had a good work going into the Southwest, but I thought this work was a lot better for him. Did it all easy. Torres was standing straight up on him, not asking him at all. (Silent Tactic) came back to the barn barely breathing, like it didn’t take much out of him.”

Strategic Risk is looking to bounce back from a 10th-place finish in the Southwest. He was beaten 18 1/2 lengths after spinning his wheels late. Casse said after the race that Strategic Risk’s performance may have been impacted by a winter storm late last month that led Oaklawn to close the track for training for nine consecutive days and delayed the Southwest six days.

Arthur said Friday’s work was designed to be more taxing than Strategic Risk’s final breeze for the Southwest. Strategic Risk went 36.2 for his opening three furlongs and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.8.

“Going into the Southwest, we put a little easier work into him,” Arthur said. “Maybe that wasn’t best for him and then missing all the training. Hopefully, he’s back to that Smarty form, that Florida form.”

These horses with Derby odds in Las Vegas and other HRN top contenders were on the Wednesday tab.

Arabia Wild (Gun Runner) worked four furlongs in 48.8 seconds at Fair Grounds on Friday morning. It was the 29th fastest of 68 works at the distance. His previous work was 14 days ago going four furlongs at Fair Grounds. In his last start he placed fourth in an allowance race going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17 for trainer Brad Cox.

Boss Dylan (Liam's Map) worked four furlongs in 51.5 seconds at Palm Meadows on Friday morning. It was the 41st fastest of 45 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed sixth in a maiden race going one mile on the turf at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 8 for trainer Brendan Walsh.

Cannoneer (Into Mischief) worked four furlongs in 49.4 seconds at Payson Park on Friday morning. It was the 13th fastest of 53 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed fourth in the Holy Bull (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 31 for trainer Brad Cox.

Chambersville (Twirling Candy) worked four furlongs in 48.6 seconds at Keeneland on Friday morning. It was the 14th fastest of 48 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed third in an allowance race going one mile on the synthetic at Turfway Park on Feb. 7 for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Confessional (Essential Quality) worked four furlongs in 49.6 seconds at Payson Park on Friday morning. It was the 18th fastest of 53 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed seventh in the Sam F. Davis going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 7 for trainer Brad Cox.

Criteria (Yaupon) worked four furlongs in 49.4 seconds at Payson Park on Friday morning. It was the 13th fastest of 53 works at the distance. His previous work was seven days ago going four furlongs at Payson Park. In his last start he placed second in a maiden race going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track at Saratoga on Aug. 2 for trainer Chad Brown.

Epic Desire (Uncle Mo) worked four furlongs in 50.8 seconds at Palm Beach Downs on Friday morning. It was the 15th fastest of 21 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed fifth in the Sam F. Davis going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 7 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Fifty Four Yarder (Violence) worked five furlongs in 1:01.0 at Oaklawn on Friday morning. It was the 12th fastest of 19 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed fourth in an allowance race going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Oaklawn on Feb. 8 for trainer Kelly Von Hemel.

Intricate Spirit (Complexity), a Grade 3 winner (2025 Futurity), worked five furlongs in 1:02.8 at Payson Park on Friday morning. It was the fifth fastest of six works at the distance. His previous work was seven days ago going four furlongs at Payson Park. In his last start he placed ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint going five furlongs on the turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31 for trainer Miguel Clement.

Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), a Grade 1 winner (2025 Champagne), worked four furlongs in 48.4 seconds at Palm Meadows on Friday morning. It was the fourth fastest of 45 works at the distance. His previous work was seven days ago going five furlongs at Palm Meadows. In his last start he won the Champagne (G1) going one mile on the main track at Belmont at the Big A on Oct. 4 for trainer Chad Summers.

Nearly (Not This Time), a Grade 3 winner (2026 Holy Bull), worked four furlongs in 50.9 seconds at Palm Beach Downs on Friday morning. It was the 18th fastest of 21 works at the distance. His previous work was seven days ago going four furlongs at Palm Beach Downs. In his last start he won the Holy Bull (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 31 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Nine Ball (Code of Honor) worked four furlongs in 47.8 seconds at Keeneland on Friday morning. It was the seventh fastest of 48 works at the distance. His previous work was seven days ago going four furlongs at Keeneland. In his last start he placed fifth in an allowance race going six furlongs on the main track at Churchill Downs on Nov. 1 for trainer Riley Mott.

Renegade (Into Mischief) worked four furlongs in 50.8 seconds at Palm Beach Downs on Friday morning. It was the 15th fastest of 21 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he won the Sam F. Davis going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 7 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Silent Tactic (Tacitus), a Grade 3 winner (2026 Southwest), worked four furlongs in 47.4 seconds at Oaklawn on Friday morning. It was the second fastest of 43 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he won the Southwest (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Oaklawn on Feb. 6 for trainer Mark Casse.

Spartacus (Curlin) worked four furlongs in 48.8 seconds at Palm Beach Downs on Friday morning. It was the fourth fastest of 21 works at the distance. His previous work was seven days ago going four furlongs at Palm Beach Downs. In his last start he placed fifth in a maiden race going one mile on the main track at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Strategic Risk (Noble Bird) worked five furlongs in 1:00.0 at Oaklawn on Friday morning. It was the fourth fastest of 19 works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed 10th in the Southwest (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Oaklawn on Feb. 6 for trainer Mark Casse.

Talkin (Good Magic) worked four furlongs in 49.3 seconds at Palm Meadows on Friday morning. It was the 17th fastest of 45 works at the distance. His previous work was eight days ago going four furlongs at Palm Meadows. In his last start he placed ninth in the Remsen (G2) going 1 1/8 miles on the main track at Aqueduct on Dec. 6 for trainer Danny Gargan.

Thunder Buck (Gun Runner) worked five furlongs in 1:03.7 at Palm Meadows on Friday morning. It was the sixth fastest of seven works at the distance. His previous work was six days ago going four furlongs at Palm Meadows. In his last start he placed 10th in the Lecomte (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17 for trainer Brad Cox.