Dash Attack Remains On Target for Southwest

Oaklawn Park-based Dash Attack  is scheduled to return to the work tab this weekend in preparation for the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 29, according to trainer Ken McPeek.

Dash Attack won the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on New Year’s Day for his second win in as many starts—both at Oaklawn. The one-mile Smarty Jones was Oaklawn’s first of four Road to the Kentucky Derby points races. The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is the second in the series.

“Pretty basic stuff right now,” McPeek said of training for the son of Munnings   who rallied from eighth in the Smarty Jones. “He’s in a nice rhythm. Came out of the race good and is galloping. All systems go.”

McPeek plans an easy half-mile breeze this weekend, which would be the first published move for Dash Attack since Dec. 27.

“Probably Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather,” McPeek said. “As long as the racetrack’s decent.”

McPeek plans to come back with “something a little stronger” next week. The colt races for owners Catalyst Stable, Magdalena Racing, Kevin Pollard, and Patty Slevin.

Smarty Jones runner-up Barber Road  is pointed for a rematch with Dash Attack in the Southwest, trainer John Ortiz indicated Jan. 11. Barber Road was beaten two lengths after racing farther off the pace than expected and aught in some traffic on the second turn in the short-stretch mile race.

“He came out of his race in the best shape I’ve ever seen him in,” said Ortiz, who trains Barber Road for WSS racing, headed by former Walmart executive William Simon. “He acts like he’s a winner. I love that. He doesn’t realize that the race was won at the sixteenth pole. He tried his best to get in front at the wire, the real wire. He really thinks he won. He’s proud. He walks around like he’s pumped up. You see that confidence in that horse in the morning. He’s training a lot more professionally. His mindset is right where I want him to be—focused, competitive— in the mornings."

Smarty Jones third-place finisher Ignitis  is under consideration for the Southwest, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.

“I think he needs some more seasoning,” Lukas said. “He ran a very nice race, finished well, but he hung and was hesitant in traffic. So, he’s got some seasoning to develop yet, but I love the way he finished. He really finished strong.”

Springboard Mile runner-up Osbourne  is also pointing for the Southwest, according to trainer Ron Moquett, whose Southern Springs Stable co-owns him with The Estate of Floyd Sagely, Mark Tauber, and Keith Johnston. 

“I was afraid that the Smarty Jones would be too quick and I’m trying to have a horse that keeps improving as we go at Oaklawn, so I decided to wait for the Southwest,” Moquett said. “He’s been training well and acts like he likes the track. But he ran so good at the mile that I was kind of thinking about not putting too much pressure on him, back-to-back, like that.”

Like the Smarty Jones, the Southwest will offer 17 points divided among the top four finishes (10-4-2-1) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. Post positions for the Southwest will be drawn Jan. 24.