Unbeaten OLD FASHIONED (Unbridled’s Song), the early Kentucky Derby (G1)
favorite, will make his second start of the year in Saturday’s $300,000
Rebel S.
(G2), and the Fox Hill Farms-owned colt will break from the rail against eight
rivals at Oaklawn Park. A comfortable 3 1/4-length winner of February 16
Southwest S. (G3) in his 2009 debut, the Larry Jones trainee will bring a
four-for-four mark into the 1 1/16-mile event. Regular rider Ramon Dominguez
will be up.
A maiden winner at Delaware Park last October, Old Fashioned attracted
attention when capturing a one-mile allowance over the same oval by 15 1/2
lengths in early November. The gray Kentucky-bred wrapped up his juvenile
campaign with a 7 1/4-length score in the Remsen S. (G2) at Aqueduct, leading
throughout the nine-furlong contest. Old Fashioned switched tactics in the
one-mile Southwest, tracking a couple of lengths behind pacesetter SILVER CITY
(Unbridled’s Song) before taking command entering the stretch, and he may have to chase down the same rival in Saturday’s Rebel.
The Bret Calhoun-trained Silver City posted three straight wins, including a
four-length tally in the 5 1/2-furlong Dixieland S. at Oaklawn on January 16,
before finishing second to Old Fashioned in the Southwest. The gray colt will
break from post 8 with new rider Jon Court. WISE KID (Lemon Drop Kid) is another upset candidate. Trained by Tim Ritchey, who saddled Afleet Alex to
Arkansas Derby (G2) glory, Wise Kid will make his stakes debut off a pair of
wins at the 1 1/16-mile distance in Hot Springs, Arkansas, breaking his maiden
prior to a 4 1/4-length romp over allowance rivals, and the chestnut colt will
keep Jose Caraballo in the irons.
HAMAZING DESTINY (Salt Lake), a scintillating 10 1/2-length debut winner at
Oaklawn Park on February 7, is an exciting new prospect on the three-year-old
stakes scene, and he will make his first start under the tutelage of Hall of
Famer D. Wayne Lukas. The bay colt has recorded a pair of bullet workouts in
advance of the Rebel. CAPTAIN CHEROKEE (Sir Cherokee) will also make his stakes
bow, shipping in from Fair Grounds for Steve Asmussen off allowance and maiden
special weight victories.