John Oxley, a three-time Sovereign Award winner, owns the 1-2 finishers in an early Kentucky Derby prep and both are trained by Mark Casse.
Oaklawn Park
Woodbine's leading trainer won three races at Gulfstream on Jan. 1, including a stake, plus another stake at Oaklawn.
Woodbine's leading trainer will have another shot at a Kentucky Derby with Sandman, the stretch-running grey by Tapit.
American Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna is back for another season of racing and racing fans are loving it.
The Rebel Stakes went to 11-to-1 longshot Coal Battle, but it was the Mark Casse-trained Sandman who raised eyebrows with a big finish.
The Canadian-bred was one of three colts from the north to win the Rebel Stakes, a rich Grade 2 dirt race at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.
The Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn is on Sunday and Woodbine's leading trainer Mark Casse will saddle Sandman.
Ontario-bred Copperelle didn't do much on the track, but she's making up for it in the breeding shed; three offspring compete Feb. 7.
Woodbine's leading trainer Mark Casse won a pile of races in the last two weeks, but it was Sandman's second-place finish that was exciting.
Just Steel, trained by legendary conditioner D. Wayne Lukas, finishes second, picking up 50 Kentucky Derby points.
There is a big field set to go in Oaklawn Park's flagship race that offers Kentucky Derby points to all starters except Baffert-trained Muth.
Son of Into Mischief was odds-on in the 12-horse field and was well polished for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Cristian Torres.
Muddy tracks played a role in Derby prep upsets, while the most impressive winner in California is not Derby eligible.
A litany of stakes races throughout the US on Feb. 3 include four major early stepping-stone races to the 150th Kentucky Derby.
Son of Candy Ride (Arg) zooms to the top of the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with his upset win in the slop.
