Bob Baffert has sent Game Winner and Improbable, almost universally accepted right now as his top three year old colts, to Arkansas. The early indication is that the Rebel could be split into two divisions in what is an unprecedented move in order to assist with cancellation of racing in southern Cal. I suppose confirmation will come in the next 24-48 hours. But the list of possible runners is below.
From the Oaklawn Park Media Team:
In an unprecedented move, the Oaklawn Jockey Club announced today that it stands ready to split the $1 million Rebel Stakes on Saturday, March 16.
The announcement came just hours after Santa Anita racetrack in California announced it is suspending racing indefinitely due to poor weather and track conditions. The Santa Anita suspension has the potential to upend traditional West Coast prep races for the Kentucky Derby.
If the Rebel is split, each division will carry a purse of $750,000, and each division will offer 63.75 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.
In making the announcement, Oaklawn President Louis Cella said he hopes the situation in California resolves itself quickly, precluding any reason to split the Rebel. “But if that is not the case, Oaklawn stands ready to help horsemen around the country,” said Cella.
Cella added, “From a financial standpoint, splitting the race makes no sense whatsoever. If we split it, it will be strictly on the basis of sportsmanship and what is best for the sport and best for top three year olds trying to get to Kentucky.”
Cella said both divisions of the Rebel would need to attract a minimum of ten runners in order to justify the split.
According to Oaklawn general manager Wayne Smith, track officials were on the phone all day Wednesday with horsemen around the country. “Plus we reached out to Arkansas Racing Chairman Alex Lieblong and to Bill Walmsley, president of the Arkansas division of the HBPA. Both gentlemen were completely supportive of our offer.”
If the Rebel is split, it will be first time in American racing history for a million dollar race to be split and run in two divisions.
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OAKLAWN PARK, Hot Springs, Arkansas
59th Running Of THE REBEL(Grade II),
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
ONE MILE AND ONE SIXTEENTH
TO BE RUN SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2019
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ADMIRE b.c.3 Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh & Jason Loutsch) Dale L. Romans
ALWAYSMINING dk b/.g.3 Runnymede Racing LLC Kelly Rubley
AWESOME WOK N ROLL ch.c.3 Live Oak Plantation (Charlotte Weber) Mark E. Casse
BANKIT b.c.3 Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron & Joan Winchell) & Willis Horton Racing LLC (Willis Horton) Steven Asmussen
BOLDOR b.c.3 Ed & Susie Orr Steven Asmussen
CAPTAIN VON TRAPP b.c.3 Phoenix Thoroughbred III, Ltd. (Aamer Abdulaziz Salman) Steven Asmussen
CLASSY JOHN dk b/.c.3 Valene Farms (Murray & John Valene) Dallas Stewart
COMEDIAN b.c.3 Bloom Racing Stable LLC (Jeffrey Bloom) Steven Asmussen
CORRUZE b.c.3 Chris Wilkins Chris A. Hartman
COUNTRY HOUSE ch.c.3 Shields, Jr., Mrs. J. V. and McFadden, Jr., E. J. M. William I. Mott
CURRENT ch.c.3 Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, LaPenta, Robert V. and Dixiana Farms LLC Todd A. Pletcher
CUTTING HUMOR dk b/.c.3 Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf) Todd A. Pletcher
DESSMAN b.c.3 Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum Bob Baffert
DORRANCE ch.c.3 Samuel F. Henderson C. R. Trout
DREAM MAKER gr/ro.c.3 John C. Oxley Mark E. Casse
DUNPH dk b/.g.3 Three Diamonds Farm (W. Kirk Wycoff) Michael J. Maker
EASY SHOT b.c.3 Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) J. Keith Desormeaux
ESCAPED dk b/.c.3 Ellis Hank Bird Ellis Hank Bird
EVERFAST b.c.3 Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) Dale L. Romans
EXTRA HOPE b.c.3 Jay Em Ess Stable (Samantha Siegel) Richard E. Mandella
FEDERAL CASE b.c.3 Robert E. & Lawana L. Low Todd A. Pletcher
FINAL JEOPARDY b.c.3 Gary & Mary West Jason Servis
FROSTED GRACE b.c.3 Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Branch, William Katherine Ritvo
GALILEAN b.c.3 West Point Thoroughbreds, Barker, Denise and Sandbrook, William Jerry Hollendorfer
GAME WINNER b.c.3 Gary & Mary West Bob Baffert
GLOBAL CAMPAIGN b.c.3 Sagamore Farm, LLC and WinStar Farm, LLC Stanley M. Hough
GRAY ATTEMPT gr/ro.c.3 Dwight Pruett William H. Fires
GRAY MAGICIAN gr/ro.c.3 Wachtel Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Barber, Gary Peter Miller
GREEN FLEET b.c.3 Donegal Racing (Gerald Crawford) Bob Baffert
GUN IT gr/ro.c.3 Whisper Hill Farm LLC and Three Chimneys Farm Steven Asmussen
GUNMETAL GRAY gr/ro.c.3 Hollendorfer, LLC, Pearl Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds Jerry Hollendorfer
HENLEY'S JOY ch.c.3 Bloom Racing Stable LLC (Jeffrey Bloom) Michael J. Maker
HIDDEN SCROLL b.c.3 Juddmonte Farms, Inc. (Khalid Abdullah) William I. Mott
IMPROBABLE ch.c.3 WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club International Ltd. and Starlight Racing Bob Baffert
INSTAGRAND b.c.3 OXO Equine LLC Jerry Hollendorfer
JERSEY AGENDA dk b/.c.3 Charles E. Fipke Steven Asmussen
KAZIRANGA gr/ro.c.3 Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) Steven Asmussen
KINGLY b.c.3 Clearview Stables LLC Bob Baffert
LAUGHING FOX ch.c.3 Alex & JoAnn Lieblong Steven Asmussen
LEMNISCATE gr/ro.c.3 Moulton, Susan and Magdalena Racing Kenneth G. McPeek
LIMONITE b.c.3 Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron & Joan Winchell) & Willis Horton Racing LLC (Willis Horton) Steven Asmussen
LONG RANGE TODDY dk b/.c.3 Willis Horton Racing LLC (Willis Horton) Steven Asmussen
MAGNIFICENT MCCOOL b.c.3 Phoenix Thoroughbred III (Kerri Radcliffe) Doug F. O'Neill
MANNY WAH ch.c.3 Susan Moulton Wayne M. Catalano
MARKET KING b.c.3 Robert C. Baker & William L. Mack D. Wayne Lukas
MAXIMUM SECURITY b.c.3 Gary & Mary West Jason Servis
MOONSTER b.c.3 Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) Dale L. Romans
MORE ICE ch.c.3 Hollendorfer, LLC, Kenwood Racing, Inc. (Robb Levinsky) and Robertson, Richard Jerry Hollendorfer
MR. ANKENY b.c.3 Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh & Jason Loutsch) Dale L. Romans
MR. MONEY b.c.3 Allied Racing Stable LLC (Chester Thomas) W. Bret Calhoun
MUCHO b.c.3 Claiborne Farm (Seth and Waddell Hancock & Estate of Nancy Hancock, Seth Hancock Executor) & Adele B Dilschneider William I. Mott
MUCHO GUSTO ch.c.3 Michael Lund Petersen Bob Baffert
NINTH STREET ch.c.3 H. V. Farms LTD (Randy Hendricks) Steven Asmussen
NITROUS gr/ro.c.3 Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Stonestreet Stables LLC Steven Asmussen
NOLO CONTESTO b.r.3 Hronis Racing LLC (Kosta Hronis) Peter Miller
OLYMPIC RUNNER dk b/.g.3 Gary Barber Mark E. Casse
OMAHA BEACH dk b/.c.3 Fox Hill Farm (Richard Porter) Richard E. Mandella
ONCEWEWEREBROTHERS gr/ro.g.3 Doubledown Stables Inc. (Richard Templer) James P. DiVito
ONE FLEW SOUTH dk b/.c.3 Duignan, Gabriel, O'Connor, Mrs. Charlie and Andrew Farm Doug F. O'Neill
OUR BRAINTRUST dk b/.c.3 Gary Barber Mark E. Casse
OUTSHINE b.c.3 Let's Go Stable and Schibell, Richard D. Todd A. Pletcher
PARSIMONY gr/ro.c.3 Reddam Racing LLC (J Paul Reddam) Doug F. O'Neill
PROUD NATION gr/ro.c.3 Gary & Mary West Joe Sharp
ROAD HOME b.c.3 Schuler, Edward F. and Manning, Diane William I. Mott
ROWAYTON b.c.3 OXO Equine LLC Jerry Hollendorfer
SHINING THROUGH ch.c.3 Michael C. Stinson Jerry Hollendorfer
SIR WINSTON ch.c.3 Tracy Farmer Mark E. Casse
SIX SHOOTER dk b/.g.3 Dundalk 5 LLC (Timothy Kindlon), N P H Stable (Nancy & Paul E. Holthus) & Wes Herek Paul E. Holthus
SKYWIRE b.c.3 Barber, Gary and Tucci, Lucio Mark E. Casse
SLEEPY EYES TODD gr/ro.c.3 David Cobb Miguel Angel Silva
SPINOFF ch.c.3 Wertheimer & Frere (Alain & Gerard Wertheimer & Charles Heilbronn) Todd A. Pletcher
STILL DREAMING ch.c.3 West Point Thoroughbreds and Larsen, Chris H. Graham Motion
STOCK CHAIN ch.c.3 Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) D. Wayne Lukas
SUENO dk b/.c.3 Silverton Hill LLC (Tommy & Bonnie Hamilton) J. Keith Desormeaux
SUPER STEED b.c.3 Michael Pressley & Steed Jackson J. Larry Jones
TACITUS gr/ro.c.3 Juddmonte Farms, Inc. (Khalid Abdullah) William I. Mott
TAX dk b/.g.3 R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Lynch, Hugh and Corms Racing Stable Danny Gargan
TOBACCO ROAD b.c.3 L & N Racing LLC (Lee Levinson et al) Steven Asmussen
TROY OUNCE b.c.3 L & N Racing LLC (Lee Levinson et al) Steven Asmussen
VEKOMA ch.c.3 R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables George Weaver
WAR OF WILL b.c.3 Gary Barber Mark E. Casse
WICKED INDEED gr/ro.c.3 Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron & Joan Winchell) Steven Asmussen
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