Baffert Pair Back to California After 1-2 Rebel Finish

Concert Tour and Hozier were to be flown back to their Southern California base March 14, a day after finishing 1-2, respectively, in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, continuing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's stranglehold on the prep race for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Accompanied by Jimmy Barnes, Baffert's main assistant, Concert Tour and Hozier departed the barn area at approximately 9 a.m. CT and vanned 57 miles to Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Ark., for a Tex Sutton Equine Air Transportation flight.

Both horses exited the 1 1/16-mile Rebel in good order, Barnes said before training hours Sunday morning outside the Royal Glint barn, which house horses for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Concert Tour remained unbeaten in three lifetime starts with a front-running 4 1/4-length victory under regular rider Joel Rosario. It was Baffert's record-extending eighth Rebel victory and 15th in a Kentucky Derby prep race at Oaklawn—all since 2010.

"To me, it was kind of an American Pharoah -type run," Baffert told Oaklawn media via phone about 20 minutes following the race. "He was doing it with ease, with plenty left."

American Pharoah, of course, is the measuring stick for Baffert's growing list of Rebel winners, taking the 2015 edition by 6 1/4 front-running lengths in his 3-year-old debut before sweeping the Triple Crown. Baffert also won the Rebel in 2010 (Lookin At Lucky ), 2011 (The Factor ), 2012 (Secret Circle), 2014 (Hoppertunity ), 2016 (Cupid ), and 2020 (Nadal).

"It's amazing," Barnes said. "Our horses, they suit this track. They run well over it. We just took it to them yesterday, early. If they were going to beat us, they were going to have to pass us."

Concert Tour, who was making his two-turn debut off a victory in the seven-furlong San Vincente Stakes (G2) Feb. 6, was able to clear speedy even-money favorite Caddo River from post 7 going into the first turn. The son of Street Sense  was set to cruise control by Rosario and set comfortable fractions of :23.42 for the opening quarter-mile, :47.53 for a half-mile and 1:12 for three-quarters. Caddo River, after breaking from the rail, was glued to Concert Tour's flank on the outside down the backstretch and made a bid for the lead late on the second turn but Concert Tour had another gear, spurting away from the competition mid-stretch. Winning time over a fast track was 1:43.18.

Concert Tour earned 50 points for his Rebel victory to vault to No. 4 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Hozier, a Feb. 15 maiden winner at Santa Anita Park prior to the Rebel, is No. 12 with 20 points.

"These horses are just starting to come around at the right time," Baffert said. "That's what you want."

Baffert was noncommittal on whether Concert Tour and/or Hozier would return to Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby (G1) April 10. Baffert has won the Arkansas Derby three times—Bodemeister  in 2012, American Pharoah in 2015, and last year's second division with Nadal.

"We'll get them back here and see how they are," Baffert said from California. "I don't make that call until about two weeks before."

Conecert Tour is a homebred for Gary and Mary West. Hozier is campaigned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm, and Robert Masterson.

The presence of another top prospect in Baffert's barn, Life Is Good, will undoubtedly impact the decision. Life Is Good, like Concert Tour, is 3-for-3, a two-time graded stakes winner, and bred by the Wests.  

"It's a good problem to have," Barnes said.

Next-race plans are pending for locally-based Caddo River and Keepmeinmind, their respective trainers said Sunday morning.

Caddo River, a homebred for Shortleaf Stable's John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, Ark., finished fifth after a front-running 10 1/4-length victory in the Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 22 at Oaklawn.

"He seems to be OK," trainer Brad Cox. "At the three, 3 1/2 (furlong pole), it looked like he kind of ranged up, but couldn't get by. Just not good enough. I don't have a whole lot of excuses right now."

Cox said he will talk with Anthony before making any decision about Caddo River's next start.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro said Keepmeinmind (sixth) will be considered for the Arkansas Derby and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) April 3 at Keeneland. Keepmeinmind was making his 3-year-old debut after concluding 2020 with a last-to-first victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

"Not making excuses, but I was concerned about the track," Diodoro said. "It started drying up during the week. You see Thursday's times, you see Friday's times, and yesterday, and even watching training, it was getting to be like the interstate. I think one horse, C Z Rocket, who exploded down the lane (to win the Hot Springs Stakes Saturday), other than that, I never saw a horse win if they weren't within three lengths of the lead Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Very disappointed. I know he's a better horse than what he showed yesterday."

Diodoro said a decision about Keepmeinmind's next start should come in the next couple of days.

The Arkansas Derby will offer Road to the Kentucky Derby points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers. Keepmeinmind ranks No. 14 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18.

The Baffert-trained Spielberg, runner-up in the Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 27 at Oaklawn, has 17 points to rank No. 15. Caddo River is No. 24 with 10 points.