The Rebel Stakes was inaugurated in 1961, initially as a handicap. The 60th edition of this $1 million dollar Grade II stakes is a must see. The race is 1 and 1/16th miles (8.5 furlongs) on dirt for 3 year-old thoroughbreds. It is hosted annually at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, AR. Post time is 6:16 pm ET. The race is to be covered by TVG and YouTube.
The entries, all KY bred colts, are as follows first by post position/horse/jockey/trainer/and morning-line odds and later identified with pedigree (sire-dam), career starts (wins-2nds-and 3rds) and some details:
- Caddo River/Florent Geroux/Brad Cox/9-5
- Big Lake/Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steven Asmussen/12-1
- Hozier/Martin Garcia/Bob Baffert/12-1
- Get Her Number/Javier Castellano/Peter Miller/8-1
- Twilight Blue/Brian Hernandez, Jr./Joe Sharp/15-1
- Keepmeinmind/David Cohen/Robert Diodoro/4-1
- Concert Tour/Joel Rosario/Bob Baffert/2-1
- Super Stock/Joseph Talamo/Steven Asmussen/6-1
Caddo River (Hard Spun – Pangburn) 4(2-2-0) is coming off 2 wins. His last win, was in the Smarty Jones Stakes, right at Oaklawn, where he got prep points. He broke his maiden in the prior race at Churchill Downs, home of the KY Derby. I think he is looking for a way back to Churchill!
Big Lake (American Pharoah – Resistivity) 4(2-0-1) is son to the triple crown winner who won the 2015 Rebel Stakes. Big Lake got his start at Churchill but he broke his maiden and is undefeated in 2021 in his last two starts at Fair Grounds. His trainer, Asmussen, has a few Rebel Stakes wins in his past.
Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile – Merry Meadow) 2(1-0-0) shares his grandsire with Big Lake. Hozier has been lightly raced in California at Santa Anita. His jockey and trainer combo, Garcia/Baffert, have won the Rebel before and his trainer alone holds the record for the most Rebel Stakes wins, seven.
Get Her Number (Dialed In – Fancier) 3(2-0-0) is preparing to make his first start of 2021. He performed well in three California races the year prior. His last entry resulted in a win in the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes where he got prep points. Get Her Number’s jockey, Castellano, has won the Rebel before.
Twilight Blue (Air Force Blue – Lily the Pink) 6(2-2-1) boasts the most experience and proves to be a shipper, having raced at 4 tracks in 3 states. He is coming off an allowance win at Oaklawn. He knows what is like to win at Churchill as well.
Keepmeinmind (Laoban – Inclination) 4(1-2-1) is my home boy. He has yet to race this year but in 2020 he spent all of his time racing at Churchill and Keeneland. Keeneland is my home track in KY. Keepmeinmind already has KY Derby prep points from three different races. I was at Keeneland when he was second in the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In his last start, he won the GII KY Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill.
Concert Tour (Street Sense – Purse Strings) 2(2-0-0) is record holder, Baffert’s, second horse in this race. This combo of Rosario/Baffert just won the Rebel last year. Undefeated and out of California this horse may burst on to the KY Derby leaderboard.
Super Stock (Dialed In – Super Girlie) 6(1-2-2) has not raced in 2021. I hold a special interest in this thoroughbred as he has entered twice at Keeneland too. He made his career start in Keeneland’s only ever Summer meet. He finished third in the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity there and picked up more prep points. He was already on the leaderboard with a third place finish in the Iroquios at Churchill, the very first stop annually on the Road to the KY Derby. He shares his Rebel winning trainer, Asmussen, with Big Lake. Super Stock shares his sire with Get Her Number.
Please, enjoy my review of the Rebel Stakes as we continue racing on this Road To The Kentucky Derby. Share with your friends and follow along as there is always more to come on Thoroughbred U.
