Gray Attempt Takes on Southwest Field From Rail

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Gray Attempt Takes on Southwest Field From Rail
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Photo: Coady Photography
Gray Attempt is one of six horses returning in the Southwest from the Smarty Jones

Dwight Pruett's Gray Attempt drew the rail in a field of 11 for the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), the feature 3-year-old test that is part of a stakes triple-header Feb. 18 at Oaklawn Park. The Graydar  colt is among six entered off a start in the Smarty Jones Stakes, which he won Jan. 25 at Oaklawn.

The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is Oaklawn's second of four major preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and awards points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. Trained by Jinks Fires, Gray Attempt has won his past three starts at distances from six furlongs to the one-mile Smarty Jones—his only loss coming in his Nov. 2 maiden debut at Churchill Downs.

ANGST: Resolute Gray Attempt Takes Smarty Jones Stakes

The other Southwest entrants that ran in the Smarty Jones are Long Range Toddy (second), Boldor (third), Six Shooter (fourth), Bankit (sixth), and Super Steed (seventh). Of those, Steve Asmussen trains three—Bankit, Boldor, and Long Range Toddy—and has two more in the Southwest lineup Monday: Jersey Agenda and Ninth Street. A two-time stakes winner, Long Range Toddy's neck loss in the Smarty Jones brought a three-race win streak to an end for the son of Take Charge Indy.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux will seek a second straight win in the Southwest with Silverton Hill's Sueno. The stakes-winning son of Atreides  is the only one to bring graded stakes experience into the Southwest after he finished a length behind Gunmetal Grey in the Jan. 5 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park last time out. 

"Honestly, (it's) just the way it worked out," said Desormeaux, who will also send out Sonneteer in the Razorback Handicap (G3) Monday. "It seemed like good timing for us. I didn't want to run him back after the Sham in four weeks in the (grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes), which is the next race at Santa Anita in their series.

"I'd love to set him up for the Santa Anita Derby (G1), so, as you can see, we have big aspirations for him," he continued. "My goal off of this race is to come back in the Santa Anita Derby. Things can change, but that's the plan."

Desormeaux won the Southwest last year with My Boy Jack, who went on to win the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) and finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby.


Entries: Southwest S. (G3)

Oaklawn Park, Monday, February 18, 2019, Race 9

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $500,000
  • 3 yo
  • 5:09 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Gray Attempt (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Shaun Bridgmohan 122 William H. Fires 7/2
2 2Ninth Street (KY) David Cabrera 117 Steven M. Asmussen 30/1
3 3Cutting Humor (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 117 Todd A. Pletcher 3/1
4 4Boldor (VA) Ramon A. Vazquez 117 Steven M. Asmussen 12/1
5 5Jersey Agenda (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 117 Steven M. Asmussen 5/1
6 6Super Steed (KY) Terry J. Thompson 117 J. Larry Jones 20/1
7 7Sueno (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Corey J. Lanerie 117 J. Keith Desormeaux 7/2
8 8Six Shooter (KY) Stewart Elliott 117 Paul E. Holthus 20/1
9 9Bankit (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 119 Steven M. Asmussen 10/1
10 10Long Range Toddy (KY) Richard E. Eramia 119 Steven M. Asmussen 10/1
11 11Olympic Runner (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate David Cohen 117 Mark E. Casse 15/1