Redrawn Southwest Stakes Attracts Field of 11

The redrawn Southwest Stakes (gr. III), part of a Presidents' Day program that was lost due to severe winter weather, brought back 10 of the original 12 sophomore entrants for Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park.

A field of 11 is set for the $300,000 event at 1 1/16 miles, with original 3-1 morning-line favorite Far Right drawing post 6 for trainer Ron Moquett. The race is the eighth on the Sunday card with an approximate post time of 4:42 p.m. CST.

The two defections from the redrawn lineup, J S Bach and War Story, were both entered in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 21 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. There was one addition to the Southwest, Hillbilly Royalty, who is undefeated in two starts for trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel and is to make his stakes debut.

Track officials had hoped to conduct the redrawn race Saturday but had to push it back a day because the track was closed for training Tuesday, Feb. 17, due to continuing frigid temperatures. It reopened a day later.

The postponement of the Southwest was the third in recent years because of inclement weather, following 2006 and 2010. The race is the second major prep for top 3-year-olds on the Oaklawn calendar, leading to the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) March 14 and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. I) April 11.

The Southwest provides points on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" on a 10-4-2-1 basis for the first four finishers.

Far Right captured the listed Smarty Jones Stakes in his season debut at the Arkansas track Jan. 19 by 1 3/4 lengths. Last early with eight lengths to make up in the one-mile event, the late-running son of Notional   launched his bid at the three-eighths pole and swept to a clear victory.

He was ridden that day for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who, despite the delay, returns to Hot Springs for Sunday's ride. Far Right, who will have an extra sixteenth of a mile to work with in the Southwest, will carry top weight of 122 pounds, conceding three to seven pounds to each of his rivals under allowance conditions.

"Perfect," Moquett said moments after the post-position draw. "The thing about running Sunday is it gave us a chance to train another day. It worked out good."

Owned by Harry Rosenblum and Robert LaPenta, Far Right has a 2-2-2 record in seven starts with earnings of $245,766. The chestnut colt has not worked since breezing a half-mile in :49 Feb. 8 at Oaklawn.

The three horses that followed Far Right under the wire in the Smarty Jones—in order, Bayerd, Mr. Z, and Private Prospect—are back to challenge the likely favorite. Other leading contenders are the multiple graded stakes-placed Bold Conquest and The Truth Or Else, both making their 2015 debut.

Far Right and Mr. Z, each with 12 points, are currently tied for sixth among Derby contenders with Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Texas Red.

Zayat Stables' Mr. Z figures to set the pace in the Southwest, as he did in the Smarty Jones. Originally drawn in post 10 for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, he lands in the far outside slot Sunday.

Mr. Z was 2 1/2 lengths clear in the Smarty Jones when he veered out sharply near the three-sixteenths pole after being struck left-handed by jockey Jon Court. He finished third. The son of Malibu Moon   has had a tendency to lug out in the stretch, and his Hall of Fame conditioner hopes to have corrected the problem after experimenting with different bridles.

With only a maiden win to show from nine starts but five graded-stakes placings as well, Mr. Z leads the Southwest field in earnings by far with $514,726. He was just a head behind the highly regarded Dortmund and Firing Line when third in the Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) Dec. 20.

Corey Nakatani, originally drafted by Lukas to ride Mr. Z for the first time Presidents' Day, sticks with the colt.

Clark Brewster's Bayerd has the rail post with Ramon Vazquez aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen, who won last year's Southwest with Tapiture. Bayerd, a son of Speightstown  , was a two-time stakes winner late last year at Remington Park including the Springboard Mile on a muddy track.

Lukas and Asmussen also have second entrants in the Southwest. Lukas sends out maiden winner Majestico for Calumet Farm, while Asmussen has Leland and Robert Ackerley's Bold Conquest.

A son of Curlin  , Bold Conquest has not been out since finishing a distant third behind Carpe Diem in the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) Oct. 4 at Keeneland. The chestnut colt missed by just a neck when second a month earlier in the Iroquois Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs. Bold Conquest departs from post 5 with Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard.

Also coming off the shelf is Harold Lerner's The Truth Or Else, who will race with Lasix for the first time. Trained by Ken McPeek, the son of Yes It's True   had seven starts as a 2-year-old, winning once, and was most recently sixth in the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) Nov. 29 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Before the Remsen, The Truth Or Else posted a pair of distant third-place finishes in the Champagne (gr. I) and Nashua (gr. II) stakes under sloppy or muddy conditions.

New to the Southwest cast is Dream Walkin Farms Hillbilly Royaty, a front-running son of Langfuhr   who comes off a 4 1/2-length dusting of a first-level Oaklawn allowance/optional claiming field Feb. 6. Hillbilly Royalty and impressive last-out maiden winner Kantune figure to provide the pace challenge for Mr. Z.

Phenomenal Phoenix and Bold Animaux complete the field. Second in an optional claimer Jan. 19 at Oaklawn, Phenomenal Phoenix races with blinkers for the first time.