Rebel Stakes 2019: Post positions, odds and more

Unique circumstances, including the temporary halt to racing at Santa Anita Park, have led to a massive afternoon on the 2019 Kentucky Derby trail given California's top 3-year-olds Game Winner and Improbable have shipped to take on a large local cast of contenders in Oaklawn Park's Rebel Stakes (G2).

To accommodate 19 entries, Oaklawn split the 1 1/16-mile Rebel into two divisions, boosted the total purse money by half a million dollars, to $750,000 per race, and allowed the flights to maintain 75 percent of their points value on the Derby trail.

The Top 4 finishers Saturday will receive qualifying points on a 37.5-15-7.5-3.75 basis, with the winner's share likely enough to guarantee a spot in the field the first Saturday in May.

Oaklawn Park wedged the Rebel between some other enticing stakes on an 11-race card, making for a strong sequence with the Azeri Stakes (G2) and Essex Handicap also set. Here's a look at the two Derby prep fields:

Race 8, 5:57 p.m. ET: Rebel Stakes Division 1

1. Extra Hope (6-1)

2. Long Range Toddy (10-1)

3. Corruze (30-1)

4. Easy Shot (15-1)

5. Proud Nation (50-1)

6. Ninth Street (50-1)

7. Classy John (15-1)

8. Galilean (3-1)

9. Improbable (3-5)

Via TimeformUS.com's Pace Projector: 

Race 10, 7:06 p.m. ET: Rebel Stakes Division 2

1. Market King (30-1)

2. Laughing Fox (10-1)

3. Parsimony (30-1)

4. Jersey Agenda (15-1)

5. Game Winner (4-5)

6. Omaha Beach (7-2)

7. Our Braintrust (6-1)

8. Gunmetal Gray (10-1)

9. Kaziranga (50-1)

10. Captain Von Trapp (15-1)

Via TimeformUS.com's Pace Projector: 

FS2’s Fox Sports Saturday At The Races airs from 5-7:30 p.m. ET with on-site coverage fro Oaklawn. Additionally, TVG will air the preps, or you can live stream them through advanced deposit wagering services such as NYRABets.

Rebel Stakes handicapping

• Expert picks: Rebel Stakes predictions, longshots

• Free Rebel Stakes past performances

• Super Screener: Who to play with the Rebel favorites

• Analysis: Laughing Fox stands an upset chance

• How to bet Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 on a budget

Meet the field(s)

Via James Scully from Churchill Downs' Derby Dispatch:

Six-time Rebel winner Bob Baffert will send out the favorite in both races. Unbeaten Grade 1 winner Improbable heads a field of nine in the first division and champion 2-year-old male Game Winner tops 10 runners in the second. The well-regarded Kentucky Derby contenders will make their initial start of 2019 and were re-routed to Oaklawn following the cancellation of last weekend’s San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita.

A three-time Grade 1 scorer, Game Winner capped a perfect season with a 2 ¼-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs and presently ranks fifth on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 30 points due to his 2-year-old accomplishments. Joel Rosario has the mount and Gary and Mary West own the son of Candy Ride.

Game Winner will break from post 5 in the second division and his top rivals include Omaha Beach, a nine-length maiden winner in his last outing for Richard Mandella; Grade 3 winner Gunmetal Gray, who exits a runner-up in the Robert B. Lewis (G3); and Captain Von Trapp, who will make his stakes debut for Steve Asmussen following consecutive maiden and entry-level allowance wins at Oaklawn.

Asmussen has a total of six runners entered, with a pair in the first and four in the second division.

Improbable improved to 3-for-3 when romping by five lengths in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) in mid-December and has captured his last two stakes starts by a combined 12 ¼ lengths. His 100 Brisnet Speed rating rates as easily the top last-out figure in his division and regular rider Drayden Van Dyke will be up. The City Zip colt is owned by WinStar Farm, the China Horse Club and Starlight Racing, sharing connections with 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.

Galilean will try open rivals following a pair of convincing stakes wins over California-bred rivals. Other runners in the first division include Extra Hope, a sharp last-out allowance winner for Mandella; Springboard Mile upsetter Long Range Toddy, second in the Smarty Jones and third in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn for Asmussen; and Robert Lewis third-placer Easy Shot.

A total of eight horses have shipped from Southern California for the Rebel.