Cue Baffert: American Pharoah Heads Rebel

It's time for the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park, so cue Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

The California conditioner has invaded Arkansas to steal four of the past five editions of the Rebel, including last year when Hoppertunity upset Tapiture in a ding-dong stretch battle. Runners like Rebel winners Lookin At Lucky   (2010), The Factor   (2011), and Secret Circle (2012) have contributed to Baffert's impressive Oaklawn bottom line—with 18 winners from 38 shippers beginning in 1997, he's brought home the trophy 47% of the time.

NOVAK: Oaklawn Park is Baffert's 'Lucky Place'

This season, Baffert comes in loaded for bear, with Zayat Stables' 2-year-old champion American Pharoah set to make his 2015 debut March 14. The 3-year-old Pioneerof the Nile   homebred rolled off the horse van at Oaklawn March 11 after turning in a series of scintillating works at Santa Anita Park, the most recent a six-furlong bullet in 1:10 2/5 March 6.

Winner of the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) and FrontRunner Stakes (gr. I) last September and unraced since then after missing the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) with a foot issue, American Pharoah needs the Rebel as a springboard on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) with very little room for error.

The 1 1/16-mile Rebel, a prep race for the April 11 Arkansas Derby (gr. I), is worth 50, 20, 10, and 5 Road to the Kentucky Derby points to the top four finishers. A good run would secure American Pharoah a better spot on the 20-horse leaderboard than his current 17th-place ranking with 10 points.

American Pharoah will have regular rider Victor Espinoza in the irons, the same jockey who rode 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner California Chrome to victory. They depart post 4 with a 119-pound assignment.

The colt won his last two races easily and in front-running style, but Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who also sends out Midnight Hawk in the Razorback (gr. III), said that may not be the case when he makes his first start outside of Southern California.

"I'll leave it up to Victor," Baffert said. "He knows the horse. He's a fast horse, but he puts him in a place where he's comfortable. He's not a speed freak and he's not rank. He still needs to break well and get around there. A lot is expected of this horse, but he hasn't run in a while, although we feel confident he's going to run well."

Chief among those set to challenge the champ in a field of seven sophomores is Cheyenne Stables' and Nichol Mac's Madefromlucky, a son of 2010 Rebel winner Lookin At Lucky  . Shipping up from Todd Pletcher's Florida string, the colt seems on the improve since joining Pletcher after Cheyenne joined Mac in partnership.

After breaking his maiden Dec. 23 for John Mazza, going the Rebel distance by 4 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park, Madefromlucky came back Feb. 4, going 1 1/8 miles, and won by 1 1/2 lengths after attending the pace and edging clear.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez flies in to ride the chestnut runner, who will leave the 2 hole carrying 115 pounds in his stakes debut. 

Harold Lerner's The Truth Or Else comes into the Rebel off a runner-up finish Feb. 22 in the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) won by Far Right. The son of Yes It's True   also managed third-place finishes in the Champagne Stakes (gr. I), behind Daredevil, and the Nashua (gr. II), behind Blofeld, at the end of his 2-year-old season. However, he has only one win to his credit for trainer Ken McPeek, a one-mile maiden special weight earned by closing under a light drive at Belmont Park Sept. 12.  

The Truth Or Else, who made a five-wide move to claim the lead in the Southwest before getting run down on a sloppy track, will have Calvin Borel back aboard from the rail under 115 pounds.

Ackerly Brothers Farm has an interesting contender in Bold Conquest, who will look to do better than his troubled fourth in the Southwest. The son of Curlin   ran to victory in August at Saratoga Race Course, sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs for trainer Steve Asmussen, then just missed in the Iroquois (gr. III) at Churchill Downs by a neck. He was third in the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) at Keeneland and made his season debut in the Southwest when fanned six wide, closing too late from far back.

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call on the colt. The two will leave post 5, while Bold Conquest carries 115.

The Rebel was supposed to have featured 2-year-old champion filly Take Charge Brandi, but she was ruled out March 10, when a bone chip was discovered in her right knee.

NOVAK: Take Charge Brandi Out of Rebel With Chip