HOT SPRINGS -- At least one looked ready.
One Liner, a Todd Pletcher trainee who shipped in from south Florida last week, took the lead with an eighth of a mile to go and pulled away to a 3½-length victory over Petrov Monday in the Grade III $500,000 Southwest Stakes.
The Southwest, the second of Oaklawn Park's four races offering points in the Road to the Derby standings, has been run at a distance of 1 1/16th mile since 2013 and One Liner's winning time of 1:41.85 was nearly 3.0 seconds faster than any of the four previous runnings.
One Liner's winning time wasn't as fast as Gun Runner1:40.97) in the Razorback Handicap two races earlier, but it was faster than Shotgun Kowboy time (1:42.51) over a group of stakes-quality allowance older horses in the race before the Southwest.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez flew in from Florida to ride One Liner, a son of Into Mischief, and kept his mount within 3 lengths of pacesetter Uncontested, the 6-5 favorite who set sizzling fractions after breaking from post No. 3.
Runnerup Petrov was 8¼ lengths in front of third-place Lookin at Lee. Silver Dust was another one-half length back in fourth.
Uncontested, who won the 1-mile Smarty Jones in a stakes record 1:36.32 on Jan. 16, led the Southwest through the first 6 furlongs, just as he did in the Smarty Jones. This time he faded to finish sixth, nearly 13 lengths behind the winner.
One Liner, who broke from gate 10, did just the opposite.
"One thing, when I go ride for Todd, I know he'll have them ready to come to any race," Velazquez said. "No matter how hard or tough the race is, I know he was going to be ready. He proved that he was ready to compete like this."
Petrov, a son of Flatter, was 2½ lengths behind Uncontested's lead through the first quarter-mile in 22.93. Warrior's Club, off at 34-1, was third and One Liner fourth, 3 lengths off the lead.
Uncontested, by Tiz Wonderful, was 1 length in front of Petrov after a half mile in 46.55, with Warrior's Club 2½ lengths back and a head in front of One Liner.
Lookin at Lee, the fourth-place finisher in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 5, was in 10th, 11 lengths behind before he started to gear up.
Uncontested led through 6 furlongs in 1:10.98, but he failed to respond as Petrov passed him to take the lead. One Liner also had moved into second as the field fanned out to turn for the wire, 3/16ths of a mile away.
"Everything went like we wanted to until the end there," Uncontested's trainer Wayne Catalano said. "He just didn't answer the call."
Petrov had trainer Ron Moquett's hopes up as he roared into the stretch, but One Liner's momentum was disguised by the rush of Petrov's move on the final turn. Velazquez said he felt his horse gaining ground, and his confidence soared.
"From the quarter pole on, I knew he was running well enough that he was competitive, " Velazquez said. "He was running really well. That was the point where he really got into the game."
Moquett's recent Kentucky Derby contenders at Oaklawn -- Far Right and Whitmore -- have lost Road to the Kentucky Derby races to horses trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert the past two years. Pletcher is also a Hall of Fame member.
"I'm proud of my horse," Moquett said. "But this seems familiar. A Hall of Fame guy comes in here and snatches victory from the jaws of the good folks."
The Southwest was Petrov's second two-turn race in four career starts.
"Petrov is a cool horse," Moquett said. "He's no-nonsense, and he's got a lot of ability. When he figures it all out, he's going to be a very good horse. I don't know if he'll figure it out tomorrow or the next day, but every race he puts another piece together."
"I think he ran a huge race," Petrov jockey Jose Ortiz said. "My horse was all out, and he improved a lot from the Smarty Jones. He's really gained experience."
Lookin at Lee moved from seventh at the top of the stretch to his third-place finish, but he was 11¾ lengths behind. Trainer Steve Asmussen still sounded satisfied by the result.
"This is a good starting spot for the year," he said. "Can I make up the difference between where they're at and where he is? We'll see. I think he'll be better with the race in him. He's got a very laid-back demeanor. He's a big, heavy horse. He'll benefit from the race, but he's got a lot of ground to make up."
Asmussen said he plans to keep Lookin at Lee at Oaklawn through the track's Road to the Derby series, which continues with the Grade II $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 18.
"He needed that race, but he ran good," Lookin at Lee jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., said. "I'm very happy with how he ran."
Sports on 02/21/2017