Protégé will make his 3-year-old debut in Southwest
Lightly raced Protégé will make his stakes and 2023 debut in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles next Saturday at Oaklawn, trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs said.
Post positions for the Southwest, Oaklawn’s second of four Kentucky Derby points races, will be drawn Monday, along with two other stakes set for next Saturday – the $200,000 Martha Washington for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles and the $150,000 King Cotton for older horses at 6 furlongs.
The Southwest will offer 20-8-6-4-2 points to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 25 and the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 1.
Protégé has a 1-0-1 record from three lifetime starts for Moquett and owners Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock, Ark., Robert LaPenta and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (Aaron Wellman).
From the first crop of champion Good Magic, Protégé concluded his 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in an entry-level allowance at 1 mile Dec. 17 at Oaklawn. Protégé was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Hit Show after breaking in at the start.
“It was his first time going around two turns,” said Moquett, who teamed with Rosenblum and LaPenta to win the 2015 Southwest with Far Right. “He had a little bit of a traffic situation. I thought he showed plenty of ability and looking forward to see how he’s progressing.”
The Oaklawn racing department listed seven other expected entrants Southwest Saturday morning – Bourbon Bash for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Corona Bolt (Brad Cox), El Tomate (Miguel Angel Silva), Frosted Departure (Kenny McPeek), Hit Show (Cox), Jace’s Road (Cox) and Sun Thunder (McPeek).
Unbeaten Corona Bolt, among maybe a dozen Kentucky Derby prospects for Cox, will be making his two-turn debut in the Southwest. After breaking his maiden Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs, Corona Bolt scored a front-running 6 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes at 6 furlongs Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds in his last start.
Jace’s Road was a front-running 5 1/2-length winner of the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds in his last start. Frosted Departure won the inaugural $150,000 Renaissance Stakes at 6 furlongs Dec. 31 at Oaklawn to conclude a nine-race 2-year-old campaign. Sun Thunder, in his two-turn debut, broke his maiden by 6 1/2 lengths Dec. 31 at Oaklawn. Frosted Departure and Sun Thunder were among four winners for McPeek on the Dec. 31 card, Oaklawn’s first exclusively for 2-year-olds.
McPeek will send out one of the favorites in the Martha Washington in Defining Purpose, who was a sparkling 5 1/4-length winner of the inaugural $150,000 Year’s End Stakes at 1 mile Dec. 31 at Oaklawn.
Other expected Martha Washington starters include Homecoming Queen for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, Olivia Twist (Todd Fincher) and Take Charge Briana (Lukas).
Olivia Twist (3 for 3) won the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 mile Dec. 17 at Remington Park in her last start. Take Charge Briana finished third in the Year’s End.
The Martha Washington is Oaklawn’s first of three Kentucky Oaks points races. Secret Oath won the Martha Washington and Kentucky Oaks last year for Lukas. The Martha Washington is a major local prep for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles April 1.
Early King Cotton probables include Flash of Mischief for trainer Karl Broberg and Tejano Twist for 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman.
Flash of Mischief won the inaugural $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes at 6 furlongs Dec. 10 at Oaklawn in his last start. Late-running Tejano Twist has won his last three starts, including a Jan. 6 allowance sprint at Oaklawn.
The King Cotton is a major local prep for the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) at 6 furlongs April 15.