Oaklawn Starts Next for Caddo River, Essential Quality

Two of trainer Brad Cox's top 3-year-olds, Caddo River and Essential Quality, are pointed toward separate upcoming races at Oaklawn Park on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Cox said Caddo River, blowout winner of the Smarty Jones Stakes last week, is likely to return in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 13, while Essential Quality, the probable champion 2-year-old male of last year, is likely to make an earlier start in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 15. Both races are 1 1/16 miles.

Caddo River received a 99 Equibase Speed Figure for his front-running 10 1/4-length victory in the Smarty Jones, the most lopsided result since the one-mile race was inaugurated in 2008. Owned by John Ed Anthony's Shortleaf Stable, the son of Hard Spun  returned to training Jan. 26.

"He's a very good colt, and we’re hoping he can get us to the first Saturday in May," Cox said. "This has been a very good path to take, through Arkansas, to get there. We'll let the dust settle and talk it over with Mr. John Ed (Anthony), but I'd say right now, given the timing and everything, it probably makes the most sense to run him back in the Rebel."

The Smarty Jones marked the two-turn, stakes, and 3-year-old debut of Caddo River. After finishing second in his first two starts in New York, both at seven furlongs, Caddo River closed his 2-year-old campaign with a front-running 9 1/2-length maiden victory in a one-turn mile Nov. 15 at Churchill Downs.

"We have high expectations for him," Cox said. "He's a good horse. Any time you can win a race by, say, 10 lengths—you don’t really ever go into a race thinking you’re going to win by 10. We think a lot of him. We have high hopes for this horse. He's one of three colts, three or four colts that we have in our barn, that we think can get us to the first Saturday in May."

Caddo River marked the first Smarty Jones starter for Anthony, who has won the Rebel a record five times (1980, 1984, 1987, 1992, and 1993). Three of Anthony’s Rebel winners, Temperence Hill in 1980, Demons Begone in 1987, and Pine Bluff in 1992, also won the Arkansas Derby (G1). Anthony has won the Southwest three times.

Essential Quality, 3-for-3 last year at 2, took the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland in his last outing.

The Southwest could attract one of the best 3-year-old lineups of any Derby prep run to date in 2021. Also pointed for it are Keepmeinmind and Jackie's Warrior, third and fourth, respectively, in the Juvenile.

The Robertino Diodoro-trained Keepmeinmind worked five furlongs over a muddy surface Tuesday at Oaklawn, timed in a relatively slow 1:02 under jockey David Cohen.

"It's one of those weird, deceiving works," Cohen said. "It wasn’t, on paper, going to stand out. We’re just trying to have more (of) a maintenance work."

A late-running son of Laoban  owned by Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith, Keepmeinmind captured the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs in his most recent start.