O'Neill Considers Southwest Stakes for Slow Down Andy

The Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park Jan. 29 is "probably leading the way" for the next start for Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Slow Down Andy , trainer Doug O'Neill said Dec. 29.

The homebred colt for Paul and Zillah Reddam's Reddam Racing is 2-for-3 with earnings of $249,850. He picked up 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs with his victory in the 1 1/16-mile Los Alamitos Futurity. The Southwest is at the same distance and offers another 10 qualifying points to its winner, plus points on a 4-2-1 scale to its second through fourth finishers.

O'Neill called the $750,000 Southwest appealing due to "the fact that we get a chance to see him travel, see if he enjoys that or if he frets on it. Just kind of a learning experience early on so we can make adjustments, if for whatever reason, he isn't the greatest traveler in the world."

One adjustment already considered is blinkers after the colt lugged in during the stretch run of the Los Alamitos Futurity before regaining his focus and scoring a length victory under Mario Gutierrez over favored Messier .

Video: Los Alamitos Futurity (G2)

"Mario mentioned them," O'Neill said. "He's trained with them and without them, and I think equally as well, whether he has them on or not. It's definitely something to consider because as the fields get bigger, the waters get deeper, you can't afford to start leaning and doing weird things."

O'Neill, Gutierrez, and Reddam Racing are two-time winners of the Kentucky Derby, having teamed to capture the classic with I'll Have Another  in 2012 and Nyquist   in 2016. Slow Down Andy is a son of Nyquist out of the Reddam homebred mare Edwina E , a daughter of now-pensioned Square Eddie, another star runner for the Reddams. 

O'Neill also reported that grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie  exited his close runner-up finish at Santa Anita Park in the Dec. 26 San Antonio Stakes (G2) in good condition and remains on course to head to Meydan next month to prepare for the $12 Dubai World Cup (G1) March 26.

The Oxbow   colt, who turns 4 Jan. 1, races for Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, and Bill Strauss.

"As we speak, we have a team meeting in a few days, but the plan, I believe, is still go to Dubai in the middle of January, run there in a prep for the Dubai World Cup," the trainer said.

The referenced prep is the second round of the three-race Al Maktoum Challenge (G2) Feb. 4. The $350,000 race is over 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles). The Dubai World Cup is slightly longer at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles).

Hot Rod Charlie is among 10-12 horses O'Neill intends to send to Dubai during the winter and early spring on a flight that O'Neill said leaves Jan. 17. The Southern California-based trainer sent a similarly sized string there in 2020 with assistant Leandro Mora.