Unbeaten No Parole moving to the 'major leagues' in Rebel Stakes
Unbeaten No Parole and Grade 1 winner Serengeti Empress are scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon at Oaklawn Park for the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) and the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2), respectively, trainer Tom Amoss said Friday morning.
Both No Parole and Serengeti Empress are based at Fair Grounds and will have their final works this weekend before heading north. Amoss said Serengeti Empress will breeze Saturday in advance of the 1 1/16-mile Azeri, the final major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares on April 18. No Parole will breeze Sunday, Amoss said, for the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, the last major steppingstone to the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 11.
Serengeti Empress was among the country’s top 3-year-old fillies last year during a seven-race campaign highlighted by a victory in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. Serengeti Empress finished second in her 2020 debut, the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) on Jan. 26 at Sam Houston.
No Parole, a Louisiana-bred son of Grade 1 winner Violence, will be making his first start in open company and outside Louisiana after winning his three races by a combined 34 lengths, including a 6 ½-length score in the Premier Night Prince Stakes Feb. 8 at Delta Downs in his latest start. The 1-mile Premier Night Prince marked the two-turn debut for No Parole, who has led at every point of call in his brief career.
“As far as No Parole goes, it’s one of those races that he’s going from the minor leagues to the major leagues and I recognize that,” said Amoss, who was in Hot Springs to check on his Oaklawn division. “Although he’s been very dominant and his races have been good, this is a whole different ballgame.”
Amoss said Oaklawn-based Joe Talamo will have the mount on No Parole and Serengeti Empress. The Rebel and Azeri will share the March 14 card with the $350,000 Essex Handicap for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. The Essex is a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 18.
Nominations to all three races closed Thursday. The Rebel drew 85 nominees.