Kentucky Derby prep: Gaming draws rail for Southwest Stakes

Grade 1 winner Gaming drew the rail post in his bid to give trainer Bob Baffert a record-extending seventh victory Saturday in the Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn.

Ten 3-year-olds were entered into the Kentucky Derby 2025 prep that will be worth 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points for the top five finishers.

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A Game Winner colt owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Gaming already ranks fifth in Derby qualifying. He earned a combined 18 points from his runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and third-place result in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).

Juan Hernández will travel from California to ride Gaming in Saturday’s two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race.

Patch Adams, who broke his maiden with a 10 1/2-length runaway Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs, drew post 7 for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Flavien Prat. Sandman, a two-turn mile winner for trainer Mark Casse last month at Oaklawn, will break from post 6 with Cristian Torres.

Mystik Dan last year joined Smarty Jones 20 years earlier as the only horses to win both the Southwest and the Kentucky Derby.

The Southwest is carded as the 10th of 12 races Saturday at Oaklawn. It is scheduled to start at 5:10 p.m. EST. The first post will be at 12:25 p.m.