Liberal Arts, Wynstock, Maycocks Bay Set for Southwest

The field for the $800,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 3 at Oaklawn Park is shaping up to be an evenly-matched 8 1/2 furlong test, with Liberal Arts , Wynstock , and Maycocks Bay  set to clash, giving handicappers and participants a view to the first weekend in May.

The Southwest, for 3-year-olds, offers 42 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers (20-10-6-4-2, respectively).

Set to break from post six, Liberal Arts will make his 2024 debut after sweeping past the field in the Street Sense Stakes (G3) Oct. 29 to score by 2 3/4 lengths. As a juvenile, the Arrogate colt was never off the board in five starts, including a third-place run in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) for trainer Robert Medina and owner/breeders Stephen Ferraro and Evan Ferraro.

"This horse really has improved as the distances got longer," jockey Cristian Torres said of Liberal Arts after the Street Sense. "Turning for home today, I just had a ton of horse beneath me." 

Prior to shipping to Hot Springs, the gray or roan turned in a :47.00 four-furlong work at The Thoroughbred Center on Jan. 23, that was second fastest of 49 moves at the distance. Torres will be back in the saddle for Saturday.

Edward Allred and Jack Liebau hope to keep Wynstock to his winning ways. The Solomini   colt prevailed last time out on Dec. 16 in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) for conditioner Bob Baffert. Jockey Kyle Frey has the return call on the chestnut, who has been turning in weekly works at Santa Anita since the beginning of the year.

"When he gets in front, he has the heart of a lion," Frey said after the Los Alamitos Futurity.

Trainer Michael Stidham hopes to see Maycocks Bay give a similar fleet-footed performance like the one he produced Jan. 7 at Fair Grounds. The Godolphin homebred son of Speightstown easily handled his competition in an allowance optional claiming test, putting in a gate-to-wire performance over a mile and seventy yards to notch a 10 3/4-length triumph. 

Other contenders in the 12-horse Southwest include Brinley Enterprises' Charleston , Clever Trevor Stakes winner Magic Grant , Carbone  and Otto the Conqueror , who each represent Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Common Defense  and Mystik Dan  for Kenny McPeek. Fellow entrant Linebacker  will be in search of his first win for Novogratz Racing Stables while BC Stables stakes winner Just Steel  and Awesome Road  are also in the field. 

Neom Beach, Denim and Pearls Head to Martha Washington Gate

Bloom Racing Stable and The Line Racing will send the fast Omaha Beach   filly, Neom Beach , to the starting gate for the $250,000 Martha Washington Stakes Saturday. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the chestnut filly ran third in the Year's End Stakes on Dec. 31 at Oaklawn Park, coming home 4 1/2-lengths behind runner-up Denim and Pearls , who is also in the Martha Washington and will break from post No. 8 for Brad Cox in her 2024 debut.

Denim and Pearls, by Into Mischief  , has yet to be off the board in three starts for owners Red White and Blue Racing. She has trained steadily at Fair Grounds leading up to Saturday's 1 1/6-mile dirt test.

The nine-horse field also includes Tapit Jenallie , making her 2024 debut for owner/breeder Willis Horton Racing, Band of Gold  for trainer Kenny McPeek, Divine Gal , Promisemeanempire , Schuylerville Stakes (G3) placed Saratoga Secret , Hush It Honey , and In Good Taste .