HOT SPRINGS -- Steve Asmussen's horses have dominated recent Bachelor Stakes. Rockshaw and trainer Ron Moquett hope to end that trend.
Rockshaw has been established as the 6-5 favorite for today's 30th running of the Bachelor, a $150,000 6-furlong race for 3-year-olds at the Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn Park.
"He's deserving of it," Moquett said of Rockshaw. "Of course, I may be a little biased. There are a lot of good horses in this field, and it's going to be a test for us."
Rockshaw has won his past two races -- both at Oaklawn -- and three of his past four. His last effort was a 4-length victory in the $125,000 Gazebo Stakes on March 4.
"Any time you've won over the course and continued to train there, you're going to have a little confidence," Moquett said. "He's a big, stout horse who has a lot of natural speed."
Asmussen has trained the winner of four of the past eight Bachelor races, including the past two. He won with Holy Boss in 2015 and Counterforce in 2016.
"The Bachelor has been good to us, and I didn't want it to be run without me," Asmussen said.
Asmussen will send Crawford, who is 5-1 on the morning line, to the gate today. Crawford has a victory and two places in his past three efforts, which have all been at Oaklawn.
"He's done OK," Asmussen said. "He's a solid horse. He's a very workmanlike horse. He usually breaks well, and he needs to be ridden along well to hold his position, and he never gives up. "
Rockshaw will have leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr. in the saddle. Santana rode Rockshaw three races back at Laurel Park in Maryland when he broke awkwardly out of the gate and started 10th. Rockshaw rallied to finish fourth.
"There were a lot of good horses in that race, and we completely lost it when we got a bad break," Moquett said. "But he demonstrated his strength and showed some class with his finish. He looked good at the end."
Rockshaw will start from the No. 3 spot and carry the top weight of 122 pounds.
Recruiting Ready, the 5-2 second choice, will start from the inside and carry 115 pounds.
"I did look at the numbers of the race, and I believe it will be a very fast running of the Bachelor," Asmussen said. "I feel a lot of confidence that [Crawford] will do his best."
At a glance
BACHELOR STAKES ODDS
Race 9, 5:10 p.m. Central, $150,000 purse, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds
PP HORSE JOCKEY ML
1 Recruiting Ready Karamanos 5-2
2 Conquest Wildcat Canchari 6-1
3 Rockshaw Santana 6-5
4 Jagged Warrior Pompell 5-1
5 Silver Bullion Vazquez 15-1
6 Crawford Contreras 5-1
7 Carson Kan Rocco Jr. 20-1
8 Smokin Now Franco 15-1
Sports on 04/13/2017