The Southwest (Grade 3) (KYD)- $1,000.000 Purse
OP- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
January 31, 2026

Prep races for the KYD are beginning to pick up as earlier this month we saw the first 20-point race. This weekend will have three more of them, and that includes the Grade 3 Southwest here at OP, offering a $1,000.000 purse to be split amongst its top finishers. That’s more than double the combined purse for the other two preps: the Withers and the Holy Bull. Therefore, OP is the best place to be, and we will have a field of ten heading to the starting gate. Last year’s Southwest winner was Losing Hazard, for Asgar. At the time, the win was his fourth consecutive, but the still active gelding has not made even a penny since then. Some other past winners include Five Fives, Shootfromthehip, and Gorogue Laga. Here’s a look at those taking part this year:

1- Hurts (Royalty Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- We kick this off with one of the horses to beat, as Hurts had a fantastic two-year-old season. After running second on debut at AQU, Hurts converted his next five races into wins, including big ones in the fall, such as one of my favorite races, the Grade 1 Hopeful at SAR, as well as the Grade 1 Breeders Futurity at KEE. That sent him to the BC Juvenile, where he placed third in a dead heat and nothing really being wrong with his performance. In December, it was off to AQU, where he showed he could handle the elements when necessary, winning the Grade 2 Remsen by three. The trainer won’t get too excited right now after having Baffert showing such promise at this time last year, but Hurts has plenty of ability to pick up that slack.

2- Reciprocal Rubber (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by P Lopez)- In the BC Juvenile, there was nothing separating Reciprocal Rubber from Hurts as they finished in a dead heat for third together, and now, fittingly, they will be close to one another again in the starting gate. The Maxmillion Farm gelding went three for seven on the year, scoring wins in the Grade 1 Champagne at AQU, and then the Grade 2 KY Jockey Club at CD in his last start. In that, he beat Painted Ice, who you may remember won the Lecomte two weeks ago, making him another one to be very excited about here.

3- Cherokee Monster (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by M Franco)- Ran here earlier in the month for the $250.000 Smarty Jones, where he came from well off the pace early to finish second to Art Of Boom. He’ll get another chance at that one as a part of this field. As a two-year-old, Cherokee Monster won twice and the $250.000 Bowman Mill, a six-furlong race, was the highlight of the year. Turned in a respectable fourth place showing in the KY Jockey Club, only missing by a length.

4- Open Invitation (Mb Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- One of two in the field by Mb Stables, and what will immediately stand out with this one is the goose egg in the win column. While it is true that Open Invitation is still a maiden in ten starts, he’s hit the board eight times. After finishing second in his first four races, Open Invitation has been running in stakes and is typically consistent at this level. Perhaps, he could have been better in the Smarty Jones, and has the prep race season picks up, the competition will only get tougher if he continues to run and these not get a win.

5- Colt Of Personality (Alydar Stables, ridden by A Fresu)- Last month at SA, Colt Of Personality won a CA-bred maiden by a length, and off of that he is entered here. That came in his fourth start, and he had been running well in maidens at CA tracks leading into it. Works times are good enough to be competitive in here, but those times will also not jump out and make your jaw drop. We’ll see what happens.

6- Fort Washington (Maletto, ridden by M Pinto)- All of four of his races have come at PRX, beating fellow PA-Breds in November before heading to the $75.000 Wait For It Stakes, also for PA-Breds, at the end of December. In that six-furlong race, he was only fifth of seven, so he will have to be better to have a shot here as he goes longer. Without a public mile work, it’s tough for me to pick him when I have more accomplished options in here.

7- Art Of Boom (Nakamura Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- Last time out, Art Of Boom ran here in the Smarty Jones and went wire to wire in the win, but it was not an easy victory. In it, he had to worry about a hard charging Cherokee Monster, but he was able to have plenty left to go on and secure the win. It would be his third straight victory, and it would come in his stake debut. While the distance and the track is the same, Art Of Boom has to deal with tougher monsters this time around, so he might need to find a little more. Fortunately, there is no reason to think he’ll be unable to do so.

8- The Piano Man (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- Enters the Southwest as a first-time gelding, having undergone the snip two weeks ago. The Piano Man has run four times thus far, with his lone win being his maiden score at against three other NY-Breds in the mud at AQU. Followed that up earlier this month with a decent fourth in the $150.000 Mucho Macho Man at GP, but the trainer clearly feels that The Piano Man could have done more. Now, we’ll see if he can as a gelding.

9- Knockturn Alley (Delta Farms, ridden by F Pennington)- After winning two of his first three starts, Knockturn Alley was entered into the Grade 1 Hopeful at SAR. Unfortunately for the trainer, the Buckbeak colt was flat that day and it would end up being his last race as a two-year-old. He would find his way back to the track right here for the Smarty Jones where he came from behind to run fourth. Though while it is nice that he made up the ground, note that Cherokee Monster was behind him early and was better with his closing run. That said, this looks like a horse that will be better as distances grow.

10- Quantum Pursuit (Mb Stables, ridden by R Santana Jr)- The second of the two Mb Stables entries, and despite his lack of experience compared to his stablemate, Quantum Pursuit has managed to do something Open Invitation has not: win! On the same day several of these were running in the Smarty Jones, Quantum Pursuit was out at SA and breaking his maiden with a come from behind effort. Now, he will get his chance to show what he can do against much stronger competition. We all know never to rule out Mb horse.

11- Seven Colors- Scratched

Prediction: 1-2-7-3

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES