Magnum Moon Exits Rebel Well; Eyes Arkansas Derby

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

The “most likely and most logical spot” for Robert and Lawana Low’s Magnum Moon is the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 14 at Oaklawn, trainer Todd Pletcher said following the unbeaten colt’s impressive victory in Saturday’s $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2).

Magnum Moon, who was making his stakes debut, recorded a 3 ½-length victory over favored Solomini and secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby May 5 at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Luis Saez, Magnum Moon ($8) covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.68, making it the fastest Rebel since Smarty Jones – stretching his unbeaten streak to five – ran 1:42.07 in 2004.

Magnum Moon (3 for 3) earned 50 points for his victory and ranks fifth on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, according to a news release Saturday from Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters, with starting preference given to horses with the highest point totals in designated races like the Rebel, if the race overfills.

Pletcher assistant Ginny DePasquale said Sunday morning that Magnum Moon and stablemate Hedge Fund emerged from their victories in good order. Hedge Fund was a front-running winner of the $300,000 Essex Handicap for older horses about 80 minutes before the Rebel

“They both came back very well,” said DePasquale, who saddled the horses in Pletcher’s absence. “Both came back in good shape.”

Magnum Moon is scheduled to be flown back to his south Florida base Monday, but DePasquale said the flight may be delayed until Tuesday.

If Magnum Moon returns for the Arkansas Derby, Pletcher would be following the same script he did last year with Malagacy, who, in his stakes debut, won the Rebel in his third career start. Malagacy finished fifth in the Arkansas Derby. Neither Malagacy or Magnum Moon raced at 2.

A son of Malibu Moon, Magnum Moon has earned $577,800 for the Lows, who live in Springfield, Mo., and previously won Oaklawn stakes races with trainers Dan Peitz and Steve Margolis.

Sporting Chance emerged in good order from his fifth-place finish in the Rebel, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday morning, and will be pointed for the Arkansas Derby.

A Grade 1 winner at 2, Sporting Chance was beaten 5 ¾ lengths after an outside stalking trip under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“It’s hard for me to handle that one because I thought I had him trained to the minute,” Lukas said. “I really felt like he would run a monster race, and he didn’t. He flattened out a little bit. He had a decent trip. I was disappointed in him. Don’t have a lot of explanations, but he did come back good.”

Sporting Chance ranks 38th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with the two points he earned from a third-place finish in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 19.

The Southwest was Oaklawn’s second of four major Kentucky Derby prep races, a series that concludes with the Arkansas Derby. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby (100-40-20-10).

Back to Work

Unbeaten 3-year-old Exclamation Point returned to the work tab Saturday morning, breezing an easy half-mile in :49.80 over a fast track just after the renovation break for trainer Brad Cox.

Cox said Exclamation Point (2 for 2 at the meeting and in his career) is a candidate for the $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn and the $200,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Both races are April 14.

“I would say it would be one of those two spots,” Cox said following the breeze, the colt’s first since winning his two-turn debut in a first-level allowance/optional claimer March 3.

Cox said the half-brother to champion and 2017 Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire came out of the race well. He was a front-running winner of his Feb. 3 debut sprinting.

“He looks good,” Cox said. “His weight’s good. He looks like he’s traveling well. We worked him with no company. We weren’t looking for much, just kind of let him stretch his legs.”

Cox trains the chestnut son of Concord Point for his breeders, Steve and Brandi Nicholson, and Staton Flurry of Hot Springs.

Next-race plans are pending for several of Cox’s other top runners, but he said he is pointing Zippy Lou for the $100,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred fillies March 31 and Five O One for the $100,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes (open division) for state-breds April 7.

Zippy Lou, second against open company in her March 11 career debut, is named for Oaklawn guest services manager Lou Siegel. The Flurry-owned Five O One captured last year’s $100,000 Rainbow Stakes for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred colts and geldings.

Cox said Mythical Tale, a sharp allowance/optional claiming winner Friday, is a candidate for the $150,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters April 7.

Unbeaten Good Move (2 for 2 at the meeting and in her career) is under consideration for the $150,000 Beaumont Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old filly sprinters April 8 at Keeneland, Cox said.

Cox said multiple stakes winner Golden Mischief breezed “really well” Saturday morning – a half-mile in :48 – and will “probably” resurface in an allowance race, “hopefully,” at the end of the meet.

Golden Mischief, in her first start for Cox and Juddmonte Farms, Inc., finished ninth in the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes for older female sprinters March 3.

Sassy Sienna is pointing for the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies April 13, Cox said. Sassy Sienna finished third in the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 10 in her last start.

Leofric, scratched from the $300,000 Essex Handicap Saturday at Oaklawn, is entered in the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (G2) Saturday at Fair Grounds.

“We’ll just kind of see how it comes up,” Cox said.

Leofric, who has been training in Hot Springs, finished second in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 19 in his last start.

Straight Talk

Inside Straight, winner of last year’s $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at Oaklawn, arrived Saturday morning following an 18-hour van ride from Turf Paradise in Phoenix, trainer Robert Diodoro said Sunday morning.

Diodoro said Inside Straight, who has been based this winter with the trainer’s Turf Paradise division, will be pointed for the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 14. Inside Straight has raced three times this year at Turf Paradise, winning the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap Jan. 13, finishing fourth in the $30,000 Turf Paradise Handicap Feb. 10 and winning an allowance race March 3. The first two races were on grass.

“Just a few works to keep him on his schedule,” Diodoro said of his game plan to reach the Oaklawn Handicap. “He runs good fresh. This little space between is going to be nothing but good for him.”

Diodoro trains Inside Straight, a career winner of $810,656, for Randy Howg.

Finish Lines

The track was rated fast for workouts Sunday morning. … Bravazo, a Jan. 13 allowance/optional claiming winner for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, posted a 5-furlong bullet workout (:59.60) Sunday morning in advance of the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) Saturday at Fair Grounds. Bravazo won the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds in his last start. … Favored Hedge Fund ($7), winner of Saturday’s $300,000 Essex Handicap for older horses, will be considered for the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 14 at Oaklawn and the $1.2 million Charles Town Classic (G2) April 21 at Charles Town, trainer Todd Pletcher said. Hedge Fund ran the fastest 1 1/16 miles of the meeting (1:42.06) in winning the Essex by 2 ¾ lengths. … Five-time defending riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen teamed for three victories Saturday – Ego Trip ($13.60) in the fourth race, favored South Beach ($5.20) in the sixth race and favored Mitole ($3.60) in the seventh race. According to Equibase, racing’s official data organization, Santana begins Sunday with 978 career North American victories. Asmussen, No. 2 all time among trainers, is at 7,961. He recorded his 7,000th career North American victory April 1, 2015, at Oaklawn. … Santana ($2,246,766) became the first jockey at the meet to reach $2 million in purse earnings Saturday. He also has a meet-high 40 victories, 11 more than runner-up David Cabrera. Asmussen, seeking his ninth Oaklawn training title since 2007, holds a 25-22 lead over Robertino Diodoro. … Ron Moquett of Hot Springs ($1,007,287) became the third trainer at the meet to reach $1 million in purse earnings Saturday. … Abbaa, who won a meet-high four races at the 2017 Oaklawn meeting, captured Saturday’s third race, the gelding’s second victory this year in Hot Springs. He was claimed out of the victory for $35,000 by 2017 Woodbine training champion Norman McKnight. … The Diodoro-trained Sutton Impact became the meet’s third three-time winner in Saturday’s fifth race.