The following race preview/picks for the 2022 Rebel Stakes is reposted via permission of ScoresandStats.com
Saturday’s
Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Led by Favorite Newgrange
February’s
Kentucky Derby prep race schedule closes things out with an exciting showdown
in this year’s $1 million Rebel Stakes. This Saturday’s featured event on
Oaklawn Park’s live racing card is the lead-in event for the Grade 1 Arkansas
Derby at this same track on April 2.
The Rebel is a
Grade 2 stakes race covering 1 1/16 miles on the dirt track at Oaklawn. The
field has been set with 11 entries. However, this race is shaping up as a
head-to-head battle between the top two favorites.
After going
through the entire list of three-year old contenders on the betting board, the
following three entries would be my top picks to finish in the money. Post time
for Saturday’s Rebel Stakes is 6:22 p.m. (ET).
Saturday,
Feb. 26- Oaklawn Park
2022 Rebel
Stakes
Win:
Newgrange
Coming into
Saturday’s race as the 5-2 favorite on the morning line, this Kentucky-bred
colt is one of trainer Bob Baffert’s prized three-year old Thoroughbreds this
year’s class. The son of Violence has gone a perfect three-for-three in his
brief racing career, including two victories this year in a pair of graded
Kentucky Derby prep races.
After winning
the one mile Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on New Year’s Day, he raced at
Oaklawn at the end of January. Placing first in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes,
he covered the 1 1/16 miles on dirt in 1:45.83 past Barber Road and Ben Diesel.
Both of these colts are in the field for the Rebel. Newgrange will break from
the No. 2 post with jockey John Velazquez.
Place:
Chasing Time
My second
choice for Saturday has a legitimate chance to win as well with 7-2 odds on the
morning line. Trained by Steve Asmussen, he will start No. 8 and jockey Tyler
Gaffalione will get the ride. Sired by Not This Time, he made his three-year
old debut with a victory at Oaklawn in a one mile Allowance Claimer on Jan. 14.
This will be
Chasing Time’s first appearance in a graded stakes race. However, he has
already demonstrated the speed and ability to compete in a much deeper field.
Last year as a juvenile, he finished in the money in three of four events in various
races at Oaklawn and Churchill Downs.
Show: Ben
Diesel (10-1)
Coming off that
third-place finish in the Southwest Stakes, I have this three-year old Kentucky
Bred colt as my show horse in a very talented second tier of contenders in this
race. Opening at 10-1 odds, he will break from the No. 7 post on Saturday with
Jon Kenton Court as his jockey.
Sired by Will
Take Charge, this colt’s juvenile career was highlighted by a victory at
Churchill in a Maiden Special Weight Race in late October. This was followed up
with a solid fourth-place effort in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at
that same track. Ben Diesel made his three-year old debut by slipping to
seventh in the ungraded Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn on Jan. 1.
One to Watch
In what should
be a head-to-head battle between Newgrange and Chasing Time, one other colt to
watch in this year’s Rebel Stakes would be Un Ojo as a 15-1 live long shot on
the morning line.
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