Moquett-trained Speed King rolls in G3 Southwest
Oaklawn Park stakes recaps by Robert Yates (Coady Media/Riley Crow photo of Speed King winning the Southwest under Rafael Bejarano)
HOT SPRINGS, AR. — Speed King was just that Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn, scoring a wire-to-wire victory in an eventful running of the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds.
Speed King, a gray son of Volatile, won his racing debut Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs for trainer Ron Moquett, who spends most of the year based in Kentucky.
“No, it wasn’t my plan,” winning jockey Rafael Bejarano said of going to the lead. “I thought the No. 1 (Gaming) and No. 7 (Patch Adams), they’re supposed to be on the lead. But my horse, he broke so good, so nice on the lead, I left him alone. I took the lead and tried to get him relaxed. When I took a hold and got him relaxed, he responded to me. The horse, I think he can go a mile and a quarter. He’s improving every time he runs. I think this is a nice horse.”
The 1 1/16-mile Southwest was Oaklawn’s second of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races. Speed King collected 20 points for the victory, bumping his total to 25 to rank No. 2 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. The Southwest offered 42 total points (20-10-6-4-2, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.
Speed King ($30.60) finished one length ahead of late-running Sandman, who was last early after spotting the field roughly four lengths at the start when he broke in a tangle. It was another 1 ½ lengths farther back to Tiztastic in third. Patch Adams, who finished a head farther back in fourth, was followed, in order, by Monet’s Magic, Publisher, American Promise, Gaming and Bon Temps. Render Judgment was scratched.
Patch Adams, the 4-5 favorite, was much farther back than expected after bobbling at the start in his two-turn debut.
Gaming, a Grade 1 winner and finalist for champion 2-year-old male, was trying to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his record-extending seventh Southwest victory. Instead, Gaming was never a factor after being rank and having to check when it tight early.
American Promise crossed the finish line sixth, but he was disqualified and placed seventh following a stewards’ inquiry for bothering Publisher in midstretch.
Speed King, meanwhile, stayed out of trouble, which proved the difference.
“One thing for sure: To win this kind of race, you’ve got to have a lot of good stuff happen,” Moquett said. “And today, you’ve got to give credit to some stuff that happened to the horses behind us. Mr. Baffert doesn’t send an empty wagon over here and I think you saw by the stretch run, just how good Mr. Casse’s horse (Sandman for trainer Mark Casse) was. So, there were some nice horses here and we were able to get them today and I’m sure we’ll line back up and try again.”
After breaking sharply from post 9, Speed King controlled the pace through a moderate fractions of :24.11, :47.82 and 1:12.23 for 6 furlongs. Speed King shook his closest challenger, American Promise, late on the second turn and opened a 3 ½-length in midstretch. Sandman, after recovering from his disastrous start, advanced five-wide on the second turn and was cutting into Speed King’s margin late on the outside. The winning time over a fast track was 1:45.86.
“We lost the race at the start,” said Sandman jockey Cristian Torres. “I let him settle the first part of the race. He’s a nice horse and responded really well when I asked him at the three-eighths (pole) and he finished up. But definitely the start cost us. He just stumbled out of there. He was standing perfect. It happens a lot in horse racing, but I’m happy the way he finished up. With all the training he missed (winter weather), he ran a big, big race. I’ve very happy and we’ll get them next time.”
Speed King entered the Southwest off a runner-up finish, beaten a half-length by Coal Battle, in the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 13 at Remington Park. Coal Battle returned to win the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 4, Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby qualifying race.
Speed King increased his career earnings to $669,000 after winning for the second time in three starts.
Owner Ted Bowman of Hot Springs, one of Moquett’s most treasured clients, purchased Speed King for $100,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in training.
“Very excited, obviously,” said Bowman, who races as Tritan Thoroughbreds. “Home track, know everybody at the track, been here for 19 years. The first big race (I’ve won). Just an amazing day. I’m just happy, so happy.”
Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby qualifying series continues with the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 22 and the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 29.
Take Charge Milady does just that in Martha Washington
Oaklawn’s companion feature Saturday was the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes, its first of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races.
The 1 1/16-mile Martha Washington produced a familiar result – trainer Kenny McPeek striking in an Oaklawn stakes race for 3-year-old fillies.
Take Charge Milady ($7.20) gave McPeek his second consecutive Martha Washington victory when she toppled heavily favored Quietside by 5 ¾ lengths under Julien Leparoux.
“She’s a nice filly,” Leparoux said. “She’s learning. Still needs to learn a little bit more, but she did very nicely today. Sat off the pace, took the dirt nice. When I asked her to get into position on the backside, we ended up making a big move, a big, long move. So, that was pretty impressive for her, also. But she’s a nice filly. She’s improving every race and, hopefully, she keeps improving.”
The Martha Washington offered 42 total points (20-10-6-4-2, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks. Oaklawn’s Kentucky Oaks prep series continues with the $500,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 22 and the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 29.
McPeek also won the 2024 Fantasy with eventual Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna.
Quietside, who was exiting a runner-up finish in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs, finished three lengths ahead of Legal Empress. Gowell’s Delight and Adeera completed the order of finish. Her Laugh was scratched.
Quietside moved with Take Charge Milady on the second turn, but the 1-2 favorite couldn’t match strides in the stretch. The winning time over a fast track was 1:46.81.
Take Charge Milady, who started her career at Ellis Park and was making her stakes debut, won for the second time in four lifetime starts, increasing her earnings to $259,594. She was exiting a maiden special weight victory at 1 mile Jan. 5 at Oaklawn. McPeek’s wife, Sherri, co-owns the Martha Washington winner.
King Cotton/Fifth Season
Late-running millionaire Tejano Twist was finally on time again in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes for older sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn.
Tejano Twist, under newly minted Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, Tejano Twist collared Happy Is a Choice in midstretch en route to a half-length victory as the 1-2 favorite.
Tejano Twist ($3) snapped a nine-race losing streak in the King Cotton, which was reduced to four starters following the scratches of Durante and Miles Ahead. Tejano Twist won the first time since the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes in December 2023 at Oaklawn.
Tejano Twist finished second in the 2024 King Cotton, one of five runner-up finishes in a winless nine-race campaign last year. He also ran second in the 2023 King Cotton for Kentucky-based trainer Chris Hartman.
As usual, Tejano Twist dropped far early in his third King Cotton attempt, trailing by 10 lengths after a quarter mile. The gelding began to advance on the leaders on the turn and swung into contention in the five path turning for home.
Tejano Twist stuck a head in front near the furlong marker on the outside and was fully extended to hold Happy Is a Choice safe in the final yards. Happy Is a Choice finished 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Gulfport, with early leader Edge to Edge fading to fourth.
“That’s what I asked Flavien to do (drop far back),” Hartman said. “I said: ‘If you could, just let him break and settle and make one run,’ which he always does. But sometimes he moves a little early. He put a perfect ride on him.”
Tejano Twist, under 117 pounds, ran 6 furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.82. A son of Practical Joke, Tejano Twist lifted his career earnings to $1,559,717 following his 10th victory from 38 lifetime starts. The King Cotton was his sixth career stakes victory. He also won the $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) in 2023 at Oaklawn.
Hartman trains Tejano Twist for his step-daughter, Jackie Slawson (JD Thoroughbreds), & Joey Keith Davis.
The $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes was a two-horse race, with The Wine Steward edging Patriot Spirit by a neck in the 1-mile event for older runners.
Juan Hernandez rode The Wine Steward ($8.20) for Kentucky-based trainer Mike Maker and co-owners Peter Proscia (Paradise Farms Corp.) and David Staudacher. The Wine Steward, a New York-bred son of Vino Rosso, was making his 4-year-old debut in Fifth Season. The Wine Steward hadn’t run since finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes – the final leg of the Triple Crown – June 8 at Saratoga.
Patriot Spirit, pressed throughout on the outside by The Wine Steward, took the nine-horse field through modest fractions of :23.86, :48.08 and 1:12.77 for 6 furlongs. The Wine Steward moved to the lead turning for home and outlasted Patriot Spirit to the wire. Mile races at Oaklawn begin and end at the sixteenth pole. The winning time over a fast track was 1:38.98.
Patriot Spirit finished 2 ¾ lengths ahead of Liberal Arts, the even-money favorite, who rallied to finish third after breaking last. Henro, Raise Cain, Brunacini, Seize the Night, Inca Empire and Machine Gun Man completed the order of finish.
The Wine Steward won for the fourth time in eight lifetime starts, raising his earnings to $548,260. A three-time stakes winner, The Wine Steward also finished second, beaten a half-length, in the $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles in 2023 at Keeneland.
