Derby News

Photo By: Lou Hodges Jr.

Lawyer Ron enters the Southwest as the horse to beat off his recent string of three victories by a combined 27 1/2-lengths, which includes a win last out in the Gr. III Risen Star at Fair Grounds (above).

Lawyer Ron will make his first start since his breakout performance in last month's Gr. III Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, when he leads a field of ten 3-year-olds to post in the $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklwan Park on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Trained by Bob Holthus, Lawyer Ron was slow to come around, as he failed break his maiden until his fifth lifetime start, and he even ran in a maiden-claiming event where he failed to win for the sale price of $50,000. However, the Langfuhr colt began his career with a pair of starts going long on the turf before turning back to around one turn in his next two losing efforts on the Polytrack at Turfway Park last fall.

It wasn't until Lawyer Ron finally stepped foot onto his preferred surface - the dirt - in the afternoon that he displayed his potential, cruising to a decisive maiden win at Keeneland. Despite the win on dirt, the James T. Hines homebred unsuccessfully returned to the grass for his next two starts at Churchill Downs. But when Lawyer Ron headed south for the winter to Louisiana Downs for the Fair Grounds meet, he would stretch out on the dirt and go on a rampage, winning his next three starts by a combined 27 1/2-lengths.

After 10 3/4-length romp in an entry-level allowance at Fair Grounds in early December, Lawyer Ron shipped to Evangeline Downs to capture the Diamond Jo Stakes in a runaway before stamping himself as one of the top 3-year-olds in the land with his procession in the Risen Star where he earned a gaudy 106 Beyer speed figure.

Now, Lawyer Ron enters the one-mile Southwest Stakes off of three blazing works in the interim, and with the bulls eye square on his back.

Regular rider John McKee will pilot Lawyer Ron from post No. 4 in Monday's Southwest, and the probable favorite is likely to be engaged from the outset and should get plenty of company on the front end from the likes of Sharp Attack, Celluloid Hero and Travelin Leroy.

The most interesting addition to the rescheduled Southwest is surely the highly-touted Music School, who won an allowance race here some three weeks ago. That was only his second lifetime start, and his first since June, 2005, when he broke his maiden at Churchill Downs. A three-quarter brother to 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, Music School will be making his stakes debut in the Southwest, and the normally cautious trainer Neil Howard wouldn't put him in this spot if he did not feel his horse was ready for the step up in class. Regular rider Robby Albarado will be aboard.

The third horse that figures to take some action at the windows looks to be impressive recent Oaklawn allowance winner Steppenwolfer, a late-closing colt that will look to capitalize on a quick early pace. Trained by Danny Peitz, this gray son of Aptitude was a $375,000 2-year-old-in-training purchase, and although he was 2-for-4 lifetime heading into a second-level allowance race earlier this month in Hot Springs, Steppenwolfer had yet to display the ability he showed in taking that race by a widening 4 1/2-lengths. He earned a competitive 93 Beyer speed figure for that effort, which was by far his best, and jockey Robby Albarado sticks aboard him for the Southwest.

Steppenwolfer will break from post seven, which should allow him to funnel in behind what appears to be setting up as a favorable pace scenario.

Mark of Success, the distant second-place finisher to Lawyer Ron in the Risen Star, will try to turn the tables on that rival in here. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Mark of Success will be ridden by Calvin Borel and will break from post No. 1.

The field also includes a pair of last out minor stakes winners in Kingsfield, the Black Gold winner last out at Fair Grounds, and Celluloid Hero, the Dixieland winner last out at Oaklawn, as well as another Holthus trainee in Red Raymond. Red Raymond captured the Ellis Juvenile over the summer at Ellis Park and is making his first start of the year off a solid work tab.

Besides Music School, the Southwest also picked up Kingsfield when the race was redrawn. Trained by Thad Keller, Kingsfield was seen most recently winning the Black Gold Stakes at Louisiana Downs on January 25.

Longshots Sharp Attack and Travelin Leroy - the probable pacesetters in here - round out the Southwest lineup.

« Back To Derby News

Derby Info