Suddenbreakingnews Again Outside in Rebel

In terms of track, distance, and post position, a familiar challenge awaits Suddenbreakingnews in the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) March 19 at Oaklawn Park, but following up may be his biggest challenge.

One race after starting from post 13 and rallying from 15 lengths back to win the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 15 at Oaklawn, the Mineshaft   gelding returns to the Southwest distance of 1 1/16 miles in the Rebel. Like the Southwest, Suddenbreakingnews again drew outside, this time widest in an expected field of 14.

Suddenbreakingnews has never finished worse than second in his career but, oddly enough, will be trying to win two races in a row for the first time Saturday. Trainer Donnie Von Hemel will give Luis Quinonez, the regular rider for Suddenbreakingnews, a leg up Saturday.

Von Hemel said Suddenbreakingnews has worked well toward the Rebel, breezing three times since the Southwest including a five-furlong move in 1:02 March 14 to wrap up serious preparations.

"It was good," Von Hemel said during training hours March 16. "Just nice and relaxed early. Stretched out good the last eighth. Came back in good shape."

For the connections of Suddenbreakingnews, the Rebel field features a mix of familiar foes and new shooters. On the familiar side, Southwest runner-up Whitmore and third-place finisher American Dubai both return.

Robert LaPenta, Harry Rosenblum, and Southern Springs Stable's Whitmore earned his first graded stakes placing in the Southwest and will try to improve off that effort in his fifth career start. Richard Keith's American Dubai made his stakes debut in the Southwest, which was just the third start of his career.

Discreetness, who won the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn before finishing seventh in the Southwest, will try to bounce back from that effort.

Leading the new Oaklawn shooters is the otherwise experienced Ralis, a grade I winner who will be making his first start since closing out his seven-race juvenile season with a last-place finish in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Keeneland. Two starts before his Breeders' Cup run, the Square Eddie   colt won the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) going seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

Reddam Racing's Ralis has registered seven workouts since Jan. 24 at Santa Anita Park for trainer Doug O'Neill in preparation for Saturday's race.

"It's going to be an exciting race. He's ready to go and I'm pumped," said O'Neill, who will be in Hot Springs, Ark., to give classic-winning rider Mario Gutierrez a leg up. "This is a deep prep but a great prep and it will give us a heads-up. It's a test to see if he can compete with these guys and if we can still think about the Kentucky Derby (gr. I)."

O'Neill said the long layoff is a concern.

"It's ambitious, but when they're doing good you've got to take chances," O'Neill said. "This is chancey, but we have a lot of faith in Ralis. I can see where the outsider looking at his form would think, 'What are you doing this for?' But we've seen enough from him in the mornings and enough in the afternoons to think that when he's doing this well, which he is right now, he deserves his chance.

"When he's right, which I think he is right now, he's a top horse." 

Southern California-based trainer Bob Baffert, who has enjoyed plenty of success with 3-year-olds at Oaklawn—most spectacularly last year with Rebel and Arkansas Derby (gr. I) winner American Pharoah  —will send out impressive maiden winner Cupid for Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier. Making his first two-turn try in the third start of his career Feb. 7 at Santa Anita, the son of leading sire Tapit   cruised to a 5 1/4-length victory.

Baffert has won five of the past six editions of the Rebel.

"I like Cupid," Baffert assistant Jimmy Barnes said. "He's lightly raced but he turned out to be a good horse. It was just a matter of stretching him out. We ran him short and he needs to run long. The distance of this race shouldn't be any kind of problem for him with his pedigree, and from the way he ran, he definitely likes the two turns." 

After finishing first and third with American Pharoah and Mr. Z in last year's Arkansas Derby, Triple Crown-winning owner Zayat Stables will try to look for more Oaklawn magic Saturday with Z Royal, a son of Eskendereya looking to bounce back from an eighth in the Southwest.

Trainer Dale Romans will send out Cherry Wine for his stakes debut after the Paddy O'Prado   colt crusied to a six-length allowance-optional claiming race score Jan. 9 at Gulfstream Park.

As a Road to the Kentucky Derby race on a 50-20-10-5 points schedule, the Rebel winner will earn plenty of qualifying points for the Louisville classic.