Flashback: Ranking the 5 greatest Rebel Stakes winners
Oaklawn Park’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes dates back to 1961, but it wasn’t until the 2000s that the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby prep race truly rose to prominence. The roster of recent winners reads like a who’s who of Triple Crown stars, champions and Grade 1 winners, and the 2020 renewal carried a purse of $1 million — 10 times higher than the $100,000 pot up for grabs as recently as 2002.
If you attempt to rank the best Rebel winners since 1961, the Rebel’s recent ascent becomes obvious. While rankings are always subjective, I believe four of the five most memorable Rebel champs have visited the winner’s circle since 2004, with Lawyer Ron (2006), Secret Circle (2012), and Will Take Charge (2013) deserving honorable mentions.
Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? Read on to find out:
5. Victory Gallop (1998)
After finishing second behind champion Real Quiet in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Victory Gallop famously turned the tables by a nose in the Belmont Stakes, rallying boldly to deny Real Quiet a sweep of the Triple Crown. Victory Gallop’s triumph was arguably foreshadowed by a gutsy victory in the Rebel, in which Victory Gallop withstood a neck-and-neck stretch battle to score by a head.
Victory Gallop enhanced his legacy with a brief but productive 4-year-old campaign, winning the Stephen Foster (G2) and Whitney (G1) en route to being named champion older male of 1999.
4. Smarty Jones (2004)
Back when the Rebel was an ungraded stakes, Smarty Jones had little difficulty trouncing his rivals by 3 1/4 lengths. Before the spring was over, “Smarty” added runaway victories in the Arkansas Derby (G2), Kentucky Derby and Preakness plus a runner-up effort in the Belmont to his glowing resume, falling one length shy of winning the Triple Crown. Nine starts, eight wins, one second, earnings of $7,613,155 — to the surprise of no one, Smarty Jones was voted champion 3-year-old male of 2004.
3. Lookin At Lucky (2010)
A champion at age 2 and 3, Lookin At Lucky packed five Grade 1 wins into his decorated career, including a hard-fought triumph in the Preakness. But arguably his most tenacious victory came in the Rebel. Returning from a three-month layoff, Lookin At Lucky nearly had an accident in traffic at the half-mile pole, literally jumping to avoid the heels of Grade 1 winner Noble’s Promise. This incident could have derailed Lookin At Lucky’s chances, but the gallant colt shrugged it off and rallied to beat Noble’s Promise by a head
2. Curlin (2007)
Over the course of his Hall of Fame career, Curlin won two Horse of the Year titles, four Eclipse Awards, a Preakness, a Breeders’ Cup Classic, five other Grade 1 races and $10,501,800. But his first graded stakes success came in the Rebel, where the exciting chestnut unleashed a sweeping rally to dominate by 5 1/4 lengths in his two-turn debut.
1. American Pharoah (2015)
The first Triple Crown winner in 37 years kicked off his unforgettable sophomore season with an effortless victory in the Rebel. Even though he pulled a shoe loose when bobbling at the start, the reigning champion 2-year-old and future Horse of the Year led from the start to win by 6 1/4 lengths under a light hand ride. By the end of the season — when he picked up his eighth Grade 1 win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic — his legacy as one of the all-time greats (and certainly the greatest Rebel winner) was secure.
J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. You can follow him on Twitter at @J_Keelerman.