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McPeek On Dash Attack’s Southwest Performance: ‘I Think We Left Him Short’

Locally based Dash Attack emerged in good order from his fifth-place finish in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds last Saturday, Jan. 29, at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., and will remain on the Kentucky Derby trail, his trainer, Kenny McPeek, said Tuesday night.

Dash Attack won his first two career starts, including the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 1, before being beaten 7 ¾ lengths by heavily favored Newgrange in the 1 1/16-mile Southwest. Dash Attack was racing over a fast track for the first time in the Southwest, Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races.

“I think between that racetrack being a little bit deep and cuppy, and we kind of had to adjust our work schedule, I think we left him short,” McPeek said. “He got tired in the race. He seemed to come back fine, but I wish I had done a little more with him in hindsight. But the night before, it was extremely cold and I don't think they had much water on it (track) and he didn't handle it well.”

Dash Attack splashed to a two-length victory in the one-mile Smarty Jones, which was Oaklawn's first Kentucky Derby points race. Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 26 and the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2.

McPeek said Dash Attack “definitely” will be considered for the Rebel, which will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters, with starting preference given to horses with the highest point totals earned in designated qualifying races.

Dash Attack ranks No. 9 on the latest Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 10 points for his Smarty Jones victory.

“We're not ruling the Rebel out at all,” McPeek said. “We're going to kind of regroup and put another plan together and hopefully it unfolds a little better than the Southwest did.”

Southern California-based Bob Baffert said he will “definitely have something for the Rebel,” a 1 1/16-mile race the Hall of Fame trainer has won a record eight times. Barber Road, runner-up in the Smarty Jones and Southwest, is likely headed to the Rebel, trainer John Ortiz said.

Vivar is off the Kentucky Derby trail following his 10th-place finish in the Southwest, trainer Brad Cox said Tuesday afternoon.

“We're going to give him a break and freshen him up,” said Cox, who trains Vivar for breeder/owner John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs. “Don't really think he's a dirt horse. Kind of always thought he was more grass. We've given him the opportunity and he really didn't answer the questions we were asking, so it's time to back up and give him some time and maybe point him for a grass campaign this summer.”

Vivar finished fifth in the Smarty Jones.

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Rebel Stakes Winner Concert Tour Returns For Cox In Saturday’s Fifth Season At Oaklawn

Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and nationally prominent owners Gary and Mary West were opponents on Oaklawn's 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby. But several months after the meeting ended in May, they began collaborating and already have two victories together this season in Hot Springs.

“I don't have a clue how many horses they've sent me,” said Cox, Oaklawn's leading trainer in 2021-2022. “I can't even keep track. We have a lot. They're great to work with.”

Perhaps the most intriguing prospect Cox received from the Wests following the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, Concert Tour, was among the biggest names during the 2021 Oaklawn meeting.

Then with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Concert Tour was a flashy winner of the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds last March – the Cox-trained Caddo River was fifth – before his unbeaten record and Kentucky Derby hopes crashed with a weakening third-place finish in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) in April. Caddo River was second in the Arkansas Derby.

Concert Tour, who is unraced since a ninth-place finish in last May's Preakness, makes his first start for Cox in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Saturday at Oaklawn. The 1-mile Fifth Season has drawn a strong field of nine, including three millionaires (Rated R Superstar, Snapper Sinclair and Long Range Toddy), another Oaklawn stakes winner (Silver Prospector) and Mucho, who will be making his two-turn debut.

Probable post time for the Fifth Season, which goes as the eighth of nine races, is 3:46 p.m. (Central). First post Saturday is 12:30 p.m.

Concert Tour, the 5-2 program favorite, has nine published workouts since Nov. 14 in advance of his 4-year-old debut. Concert Tour was entered in the $75,000 Woodchopper Stakes Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds, but scratched after the race didn't come off the grass. A forward factor early in his first five career starts, Concert Tour's return to Oaklawn will mark his first start without blinkers. He also adds Lasix for the first time since his debut last January at Santa Anita.

“I like him a lot,” Cox said. “He's a talented horse. I think if he runs the way he trains, we'll be in good shape.”

The projected Fifth Season field from the rail out: Thomas Shelby, David Cohen to ride, 122 pounds, 5-1 on the morning line; Rated R Superstar, David Cabrera, 122, 8-1; Snapper Sinclair, Ramon Vazquez, 122, 6-1; Necker Island, Francisco Arrieta, 122, 9-2; Concert Tour, Joel Rosario, 122, 5-2; Atoka, Luis Contreras, 122, 15-1; Long Range Toddy, Jon Court, 115, 10-1; Silver Prospector, Ricardo Santana Jr., 115, 10-1; and Mucho, Florent Geroux, 122, 7-2.

Mucho came from just off the pace to capture an allowance sprint Dec. 18 at Oaklawn for trainer John Ortiz and owners WSS Racing (William Simon) and 4 G Racing (Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway). Mucho has bankrolled $686,729 in a 29-race career, but the 6-year-old son of 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Blame has never raced around two turns. Ortiz, on behalf of WSS and 4 G, claimed Mucho for $80,000 in November 2020 at Churchill Downs.

“To me, I don't think distance is going to be an issue,” Ortiz said. “The only variable that we have here is going to be the two turns. Will he sprint out and run off or will he sprint out and be able to rate and either dictate the speed or just sit off the pace and use his sprint ability for the finish?”

Snapper Sinclair seeks his first career stakes victory on dirt after finishing second, beaten a neck in the 2020 Fifth Season, and finishing fifth in the 2019 Fifth Season for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and co-owner Jeff Bloom (Bloom Racing). Snapper Sinclair finished fifth in his last start, the $100,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes Dec. 18 at Turfway Park. Turfway has a synthetic surface.

“He had come out of the Breeders' Cup in such great shape and we didn't really have a whole of options with him and he had yet to run on a synthetic track,” Bloom said. “We just figured, 'What the heck? Let's give it a try.' It was one of his extremely rare, sort of flat performances, so we just kind of drawn a line through that one and refocus on the coming year.”

The speedy Thomas Shelby cuts back to a mile after finishing a game second behind heralded stablemate Lone Rock in the inaugural $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 18 at Oaklawn for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

“I think it's the best race he's run,” Diodoro said.

Thomas Shelby won seven races in 2021, including two last spring at Oaklawn, after being privately purchased by Diodoro's major client, four-time local leading owner M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk).

Silver Prospector, another Asmussen trainee, is seeking his first stakes victory since the $750,000 Southwest (G3) for 3-year-olds in 2020 at Oaklawn. Necker Island ran ninth in the rescheduled 2020 Kentucky Derby and returns to a route after finishing fourth in the $150,000 Thanksgiving Classic Stakes Nov. 25 at Fair Grounds for 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman.

The Fifth Season is a major steppingstone toward the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses April 23. The Asmussen-trained Silver State won the Fifth Season and Oaklawn Handicap in 2021.

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Baffert Tabs Mike Smith To Ride Concert Tour In 146th Preakness Stakes

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday morning that the time was right for Gary and Mary West's Concert Tour to jump onto the Triple Crown trail in the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico Race Course.

“We figure, this is the race,” Baffert said by phone from Santa Anita. “The Derby is run. A lot of horses, they went through a lot to get here. He's sort of a fresh horse. In the Rebel, he looked so good.”

Concert Tour, who captured the March 13 Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn by 4 ¼ lengths, was withdrawn from consideration for last Saturday's Kentucky Derby (G1) after finishing third as the 3-10 favorite in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 10. Baffert made the decision to point the son of Street Sense to the Preakness instead and he confirmed this week that the colt will indeed compete in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. Concert Tour is scheduled to clash with stablemate Medina Spirit, who gave Baffert his record seventh Kentucky Derby success with a gutsy front-running victory at Churchill Downs.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Concert Tour for the first time in the Preakness.

Since the Arkansas Derby, Concert Tour has worked twice at Churchill Downs. Baffert watched him breeze five furlongs in 1:00.60 Sunday morning and decided he should stay on course for the Preakness. Concert Tour will work again this weekend before shipping to Baltimore early next week.

Baffert said that he made changes in strategy after Medina Spirit was second as the favorite in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 3. Putting the colt on the lead in the Derby led to his triumph. Meanwhile, he's had to fine-tune his approach with Concert Tour.

“We're getting to know these horses,” Baffert said. “He's lightly raced, but we've learned a lot about him. So we make adjustments and here we are.

“We know what we need to do, just like Medina Spirit. You get beat and you figure it out,” he added. “You learn more from your losses: what a horse likes, what he doesn't like. Did I have him ready? I make notes and figure out what's wrong. Three weeks just wasn't enough to really feel comfortable to go in there and Gary West really didn't feel comfortable running in the Derby after a race like that.”

Baffert said he spoke with Gary West after Concert Tour's Sunday morning workout and they decided to continue with the plan to run at Pimlico.

“He asked me, 'Did he work well enough to run in the Preakness?'” Baffert said. “I said, 'Yes, he did. He worked well.'”

Once that question was answered, the Wests did not hesitate to make plans for the Preakness.

“That's why they are in the business and that's why they want to try for it,” Baffert said. “If you can run in the Preakness and win the Preakness, it's a very exciting race.”

Concert Tour entered the Arkansas Derby unbeaten in three starts and a top candidate to be among the Kentucky Derby favorites. He faltered, though, forcing to Baffert to change his schedule.

“We'll find out. Let's see how good he is,” Baffert said. “Maybe he's good or maybe not as good as we thought he was. We're going to find out next week.”

Zedan Racing's Medina Spirit could resume training Wednesday at Churchill Downs as the 3-year-old colt prepares for the Preakness Stakes. Medina Spirit had his third scheduled walk day Tuesday after his 12-1 upset Derby victory.

Jimmy Barnes, Baffert's top assistant who is overseeing the training of Medina Spirit and the stable's other horses at Churchill Downs, said Concert Tour returned to the track Tuesday morning after a day off following Sunday's five-furlong workout.

“Concert Tour jogged. Medina walked again today. We'll talk to Bob and see if he wants to go another day or jog him tomorrow or something,” Barnes said. “Everyone is very healthy. I couldn't be happier with them.”

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Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Rebel Third Big Lake Sidelined, Off Trail

Wagering on Big Lake (#1), the third-place finisher of the $1 million Rebel Stakes (Grade 2), has been suspended for the fifth and final pool of the 2021 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens its three-day stand Friday at noon (all times Eastern).

Big Lake, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and owned by Mike Rutherford, emerged from the March 13 Rebel Stakes with an injury and will be sidelined.

The defection of Big Lake leaves Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager with 23 wagering interests that features 22 individuals and the Mutuel Field (#24). The lineup (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 Big Lake (SCRATCHED); #2 Caddo River (Brad Cox, 30-1); #3 Collaborate (Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1); #4 Concert Tour (Bob Baffert, 9-2); #5 Crowded Trade (Chad Brown, 30-1); #6 Dream Shake (Peter Eurton, 50-1); #7 Essential Quality (Cox, 3-1); #8 Greatest Honour (McGaughey, 4-1); #9 Helium (Mark Casse, 30-1); #10 Hidden Stash (Victoria Oliver, 50-1); #11 Highly Motivated (Brown, 30-1); #12 Hot Rod Charlie (Doug O'Neill, 6-1); #13 Hozier (Baffert, 30-1); #14 Mandaloun (Cox, 30-1); #15 Medina Spirit (Baffert, 20-1); #16 Midnight Bourbon (Asmussen, 30-1); #17 O Besos (Greg Foley, 50-1); #18 Prevalence (Brendan Walsh, 20-1); #19 Proxy (Mike Stidham, 30-1); #20 Risk Taking (Brown, 30-1); #21 Rock Your World (John Sadler, 50-1); #22 Spielberg (Baffert, 50-1); #23 Weyburn (Jimmy Jerkens, 30-1); #24 “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (20-1).

For more information about the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, visit www.kentuckyderby.com/futurewager.

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