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Keepmeinmind Staying Put for Southwest

Despite the weather-enforced postponement of the GIII Southwest S., Keepmeinmind (Laoban) will remain in his stall at Oaklawn Park and will pass this weekend's GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, trainer Robertino Diodoro confirmed Wednesday.

“In the end, I feel better running him out of his own stall,” Diodoro said.

The bay colt, who was third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile before breaking his maiden in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 28, turned in his sixth breeze of the year Monday in Hot Springs, going a half-mile in :49.60 beneath jockey David Cohen.

“David did a great job again working him,” said Diodoro, Oaklawn's leading trainer last year. “A horse like him, as aggressive as he is, you get the wrong guy on him and all of sudden your nice, easy half-mile work could turn into :45, :46. Even with those other works, it's the same thing. He's a horse that you've definitely got to have the right guy on or you could really blow a work.”

The Southwest is also likely to attract champion Essential Quality (Tapit) and MGISW Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music).

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Keepmeinmind ‘Had A Little Target To Run At’ In Bullet Workout At Oaklawn

Keepmeinmind recorded his third local workout this month at Oaklawn – zipping 5 furlongs in 1:00 over a fast track Tuesday morning under regular rider David Cohen – in advance of the colt's 2021 debut in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds Feb. 15. The time ranked No. 1 among 40 published at the distance.

“Really good,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said Wednesday morning. “It worked out good, actually. Just right at the quarter pole, like David said, he looked up and said there was a horse about 6 or 7 lengths in front of him and he had a little target to run at. It kind of worked out really well.”

Keepmeinmind recorded splits of :25 for his opening quarter-mile, :37 for three furlongs and :48.20 for a half-mile before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.80 and seven in 1:26.80, according to clockers. Diodoro said Keepmeinmind worked from the five-eighths pole to the regular finish line.

Keepmeinmind had previously recorded half-mile breezes Jan. 6 and Jan. 12 at Oaklawn.

“He's starting to become a pretty good work horse,” Diodoro said.

Keepmeinmind raced four times last year, finishing second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland before breaking his maiden as the 2-1 favorite in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Keepmeinmind ranks second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points, according to Churchill Downs. Unbeaten Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Essential Quality has 30 points to top the standings. Essential Quality, the probable 2-year-old male champion, is under consideration for the Southwest, trainer Brad Cox said.

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Kentucky Jockey Club Winner Keepmeinmind Aimed At Feb. 15 Southwest Stakes

Keepmeinmind worked a half-mile in :50.20 Wednesday morning at Oaklawn Park, his first breeze since winning the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Regular rider David Cohen was aboard for the work, which came over a fast track and ranked 39th of 94 recorded at the distance. Keepmeinmind arrived Dec. 27 in Hot Springs after previously being in light training at Kentucky's WinStar Farm following the Kentucky Jockey Club.

“Very easy half, with a nice long gallop out,” said Cohen, Oaklawn's leading rider in 2019. “Happy to get back on him. He seemed to have matured since his last race. The time at WinStar did him a ton of good.”

Trainer Robertino Diodoro said Keepmeinmind, a late-running son of Laoban, is a candidate for the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 at Oaklawn. The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Keepmeinmind raced four times (all routes) last year, finishing second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland before breaking his maiden as the 2-1 favorite in the Kentucky Jockey Club. His last three starts have been at 1 1/16 miles.

Diodoro was Oaklawn's leading trainer in 2020.

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‘Eager To Go’: Derby Hopeful Keepmeinmind Arrives At Oaklawn Park

After traveling Sunday and resting Monday, Tuesday was a work day for one of the country's top 2-year-olds of 2020.

Keepmeinmind galloped approximately a mile under regular exercise rider Saul Salas on a cloudy, cold Tuesday morning at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. It was the colt's first trip to the track at a racing venue since breaking his maiden in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Keepmeinmind arrived Sunday night in Hot Springs after previously being based at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, where he had been in light training since a last-to-first victory in the Grade 2Kentucky Jockey Club, a 1 1/16-mile event that anchored Churchill's Stars of Tomorrow II program.

“He seemed all eager to go,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said after Keepmeinmind returned to the barn. “It was good to have him back in the barn. One step at a time.”

Diodoro reiterated there is no timetable regarding Keepmeinmind's 3-year-old debut, or even a regular workout schedule.

Oaklawn's first of four Kentucky Derby points races is the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 22, but Diodoro said Keepmeinmind is not a candidate for the 1-mile race. A late-running son of Laoban, Keepmeinmind raced four times this year (all routes), finishing second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland before his breakthrough victory as the 2-1 favorite in the Kentucky Jockey Club. His last three starts have been at 1 1/16 miles. Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 15.

“Nothing set in stone,” Diodoro said. “Like the old saying: 'Let the horse tell us when he's ready to do something.' ”

David Cohen, Oaklawn's leading jockey in 2019, has ridden Keepmeinmind three times, including his victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club. Silver Prospector won the 2019 Kentucky Jockey Club before finishing fourth in the Smarty Jones – his 3-year-old debut – and then capturing the Southwest.

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