Far Right Prevails in Sloppy Southwest

Despite the muddy going, the Notional colt settled comfortably towards the back of the pack early following a contested pace set by the 2-1 favorite Mr. Z and Hillbilly Royalty. The pair led the field of 11 through the opening quarters in :23.61. :47.90 and 1:14.33.

Ridden for the second time by Mike Smith, Far Right began to cut into the deficit in the middle of the far turn. The early trailer, The Truth or Else, made a big move and joined the leaders at the quarter pole. As the trio dueled for control, Smith and Far Right dropped to the inside rail with a fighting finish to win by a half-length.

The Truth or Else won the photo for second, a bob ahead of Mr. Z. Bold Conquest came on late for fourth. The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:47.56 over a sloppy track.

 

"I was watching Wayne’s horse [Mr. Z] and I just didn’t want to be on the outside of him," Smith said after the race. "I was patient and was just hoping an opening would open up and it did. I dropped down to the inside, which didn’t seem like the place to be today, but he made it look good. I think there is still plenty of room to improve. He didn’t handle the mud as well as I thought he would, so with all that and the added distance, I think he’s just going to get better. Hopefully he keeps taking us forward and taking us to Kentucky." 

Originally scheduled for Presidents Day Monday, the Southwest, the second of four points-awarding Kentucky Derby prep races at Oaklawn, closed out a weekend’s worth of Derby preps, including the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream and the Risen Star at the Fair Grounds on Saturday.

The chestnut colt adds ten points towards a spot in the Kentucky Derby, for a total of 22. The Truth or Else picks up four points, while Mr. Z adds two to his bankroll for a total of 14. Bold Conquest adds to a point to his existing six as well.

Trained by Ron Moquett, the winner was a bargain purchase at the Keeneland January sale in 2013, passing the auction block for a mere $2,500. Far Right has earned over $425,000 in three wins, two seconds and two thirds in his eight career starts.

 

"It was exactly like the Smarty Jones, except we were giving seven pounds to everybody," Moquett said. "That’s something that nobody printed anywhere. That’s kind of a lot to give to a little guy. I just knew our horse was strong and he gets stronger at the end of his races. I just wanted him to get clear. I didn’t care where he went from there."