Kentucky Derby trail: Blackout Time fires a bullet ahead of Rebel

Blackout Time recorded a bullet workout Wednesday morning in advance of his scheduled 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn on March 1.

Blackout Time covered five furlongs in 1:00 over a fast track during the special 10-minute workers-only period immediately after the first surface renovation break for trainer Kenny McPeek. The time was the fastest of 14 published at the distance.

Fair odds: Untested maiden winners offer Kentucky Derby Future Wager value.

Blackout Time worked in company with stablemate Gaming Wizard, a 3-year-old New York-bred colt who finished fourth in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes on Oct. 25 at Aqueduct. Both horses worked from the five-furlong pole to the wire, with Blackout Time pulling away in the stretch after initial splits of 24.2 seconds for a quarter-mile and 36.4 for three furlongs. Blackout Time galloped out six furlongs in 1:13. Gaming Wizard was credited with five furlongs in 1:01. 

Blackout Time hasn’t started since a runner-up finish behind eventual 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey in the Breeders’ Futurity Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Blackout Time was entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Oct. 31 at Del Mar, but he was a regulatory veterinarian scratch because of an alleged soundness issue.

A son of Not This Time, Blackout Time returned to the work tab Jan. 23 at the Fair Grounds and breezed two other times there, Jan. 30 and Thursday, before shipping to Oaklawn. Co-owner Lance Gasaway said Blackout Time is scheduled to have two more works before the Rebel.

“We are going to watch the weather,” Gasaway said in a text message Wednesday morning. “If the weather stays good, we will keep him here.”

The 1 1/16-mile Rebel is Oaklawn’s third Kentucky Derby qualifying race and will offer 50-25-15-10-5 points to its top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Blackout Time earned five Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Futurity.

Other horses pointing for the Rebel include Silent Tactic and Strategic Risk for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse and Honey’s to Blame for McPeek.

Strategic Risk won Oaklawn's first Kentucky Derby qualifier, the Smarty Jones on Jan. 3, and Silent Tactic won the second, Friday’s Southwest (G3). Arkansas-bred Honey’s to Blame was an allowance winner Sunday at Oaklawn.