Solomini Set for Seasonal Debut in Rebel Stakes

The way trainer Bob Baffert sees it, Solomini is a youngster who already has his priorities straight.

While there is no shortage of runners in the Hall of Famer's shedrow who show talent during the morning hours, Solomini has been more of an enigma in his training. He can be lazy, erratic, unfocused—all the things that try a horseman's patience—until race day rolls around.

"He's quirky, but he tries hard every time," Baffert said of the Curlin  colt. "He's just a lazy horse, so you have to match him up right, and he's always been that way. All the way back in the summer, he was at Los Alamitos and ... I'd ask how he was doing, and they'd be like, 'I don't know about him. He doesn't show so much in his works.'

"But in the afternoon, he turns it on, and that's when it's most important. He shows up when he's supposed to show up."

This is the time of year when the better 3-year-olds need to start showing up on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. To that end, Solomini will aim to make his seasonal debut the latest example of his afternoon aptitude when he faces 10 challengers in the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park March 17.

With grade 1 winner McKinzie and budding phenom Justify among his sophomore stablemates, Solomini has gotten a little lost in the shuffle, given he hasn't started since Dec. 9. In that race, the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1), he hit the wire first ahead of McKinzie and eventual graded stakes winner Instilled Regard, only to be disqualified to third for interference in the stretch.

BALAN: McKinzie Wins Los Al Futurity Via Solomini's DQ

Just as that result doesn't reflect the true nature of how well Solomini performed, the same can be said of his record—one win from four starts. Following his debut win at Del Mar Sept. 2, the chestnut colt went on to finish second in both the FrontRunner Stakes (G1) and the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1)—the latter of which saw him end up a length in front of Bolt d'Oro, who just bested McKinzie via disqualification in last weekend's San Felipe Stakes (G2).

"It's a shame, because he was the best horse that day (in the Los Alamitos Futurity) and they took him down," Baffert said. "He can be a little bit difficult and (jockey Flavien) Prat that day at Los Al just got a little excited. And when you hit him right-handed, you have to be careful. But he is doing really well.

"He's a pretty horse, and he really does have a good mind. You just have to ride him like a bicycle. You have to keep riding him the whole way."

Owned by Zayat Stables and the Coolmore partners of Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith—who bought into the colt after the Los Alamitos Futurity—Solomini did look much more focused during his most recent workout March 10, a bullet five-furlong breeze in :59  at Santa Anita Park, where he finished well clear of his workmate. That work was the sixth for Solomini since having his training briefly interrupted at the beginning of the year when he spiked a fever.

"We freshened him up a bit, and he looks really healthy," Baffert said. "His coat looks good. He's filled out."

While Solomini will be testing his race fitness for the first time this year, grade 1 winner Sporting Chance will enter the Rebel off a third-place effort in the Feb. 19 Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn. That outing marked the first start for the son of Tiznow  since he underwent surgery to remove a knee chip following his victory in the Sept. 4 Hopeful Stakes (G1), and he will have the services of Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez for the first time on Saturday.

"That, I think, is a great fit," trainer D. Wayne Lukas said of the pairing. "John's excited about it. He wanted to ride this horse when he was up at Saratoga. He asked me to ride this horse, he knows the horse, and he's pretty excited about coming."

Charles Fipke's homebred Title Ready will make his stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel off a 3 1/2-length entry-level allowance win Feb. 1 and is one of three entrants trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle, along with Zing Zang and Southwest runner-up Combatant. Title Ready's last start was his first around two turns and first time racing in blinkers.

"He's always had a lot of talent," Asmussen said of Title Ready. "I thought he had a little inconsistency there, and weren't getting the best out of him. The addition of blinkers and being a little more aggressive with him has been more effective."

Justify may be leading the charge right now in terms of unraced juveniles trying to take aim at the curse of Apollo, but Magnum Moon could slide into the driver's seat if he prevails in his first stakes test for trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Malibu Moon  comes into the Rebel off a two-length victory going a mile and 40 yards at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 15, which was preceded by his 4 1/2-length maiden victory at Gulfstream Park Jan. 13.

Entries: Rebel S. (G2)

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 17, 2018, Race 10

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $900,000
• 3 yo
• 6:09 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Title Ready (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	117	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
2	2Curlin's Honor (FL)	Florent Geroux	115	Mark E. Casse	12/1
3	3Solomini (KY)	Flavien Prat	115	Bob Baffert	3/2
4	4Magnum Moon (KY)	Luis Saez	115	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
5	5Higher Power (KY)	Richard E. Eramia	117	Donnie K. Von Hemel	20/1
6	6Pryor (KY)	David Cabrera	115	Ron Moquett	30/1
7	7Sporting Chance (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	D. Wayne Lukas	5/1
8	8High North (KY)	Gary L. Stevens	115	Brad H. Cox	12/1
9	9Zing Zang (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	115	Steven M. Asmussen	20/1
10	10Combatant (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	115	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
11	11Bode's Maker (KY)	Jareth Loveberry	115	Allen Milligan	50/1