The Southwest (Grade 3) (KYD)- $750.000 Purse
OP- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
February 15, 2021

The excitement of KYD chase does not end on Sunday this weekend as ten points are on the line for the big race in the 16th running of The Grade 3 Southwest, a race that has produced multiple KYD champions. Last year, Royal Assembly pulled off the win for Nakamura Stables here before winning the KYD in May, coming three years after the same trainer pulled off the same double with Shootfromthehip. This has been a very good race for Nakamura, with three wins in the last five years. If you wanted more KYD winners that this race has produced, you can go back to 2010 where the great Five Fives got the win, or 2008 when Half Spirit won. The big draw for this race is not the points as much as it is the purse, and it is the second time that the race will pay out $750.000 to the top four finishers. That type of payout should continue to bring the best of the best here, and allow the race to maintain its developing reputation as being a breeding ground for KYD champions. The gate is full, so let’s meet our 14 participants.

#1- War Chant (Aer Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- This horse does not have the resume as others have here, but that doesn’t mean he can’t start to create that. For now, he is simply a horse that comes here off of breaking his maiden three weeks ago at AQU over six furlongs, in just his second start. He worked decently at a mile coming in, but he is an unknown here, regardless.

#2- Test The Party Code (Mb Stables, ridden by J K Court)- After winning the Risen Star twice on Saturday, Mb Stables will hope to continue his hot streak. He’s been testing the game code, so to speak, and with that apparently going well for him right now, he might be able to upgrade that to the party code on Monday. He was a $250.000 private sales addition in late October, and hit the board in both the KY Jockey Club and the Sham Stakes.

#3- Lions Destiny (Estero Farms, ridden by S R Bahen)- After breaking his maiden in his fifth career start in November, Lions Destiny was sent to the RP Springboard Mile a month later. He would run well in the race, picking up a third place finish, and has been resting ever since. His last mile work is not that impressive, but I wonder if the trainer was just testing something there, because his recent six furlong work was quite strong, and a full second faster than a similar work a week prior.

#4- Grayte Cruise (Gdp Inc, ridden by J Stein)- This is another one of the unknowns, but I would have a little more confidence picking him over War Chant. He’s a perfect 2-for-2 in his career, and comes off a win at seven furlongs at GP. Was worked at a mile last week out at SA, and he opened some eyes there, so when you add that together with being a horse that knows how to win, he could be a player here. Still, I have to lean to a more known commodity at this level.

#5- Brave Companion (Nakamura Stables, ridden by V R Carrasco)- The trainer would love for this horse to follow the lead of Shootfromthehip and Royal Assembly, but if it were to happen it will need to be on very short rest. After all, he was just out there two weeks ago in the Lews Stakes, where he was second. He had a strong two year old season that saw a BC Juvenile appearance, but the short turnaround time is the biggest factor here.

#6- Furious (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The winner of the BC Juvenile Turf wants to make an impression on the main track, at least right now. In early December, he did run on the dirt, and nearly got the win in the Great White Way, but had to settle for second in a photo to Oleg. He likes to come from behind, so the seven furlong distance in that race was probably just too short for him. He will like this much better and should be a top threat.

#7- Cherokee Falcon (Chili King Stables, ridden by J R Leparoux)- Here is another horse with a lot of experience on the grass, as every race other than his debut race has been on that surface. He’s hit the board four times, but only managed to win one of them and does not have a lot of stake experience yet. He has had time to rest, having last appeared on the track in late November.

#8- This One Is Fast (Patterson Stables, ridden by C J Lanerie)- This one is fast and also a filly! That fact will give her a five pound weight allowance, which is something that can be very useful in a race like this. She won on debut in April, but has patiently been brought along ever since. Solid third in the Debutante before pacing the field and settling for fifth in the Grade 1 Spinaway. Her last race is a throw out. Certainly an interesting one to watch here.

#9- Shifu Tan (Keikowin Racing, ridden by D Van Dyke)- A winner of three out of five in his career thus far, but the problem is those other two races are quite bad. The trainer is hoping that gelding him last month can at least make those non-wins be a lot more respectable. HIs effort after the geld was a win, coming at seven furlongs in the $125.000 Pasco Stakes at TAM last month. Working well, and now we see if the geld can lead to more consistency.

#10- Archduke Charles (Mb Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Being a WV bred allowed him to assert himself in a handful of smaller WV-bred stakes, and he ended up winning three of them, and then an allowance against open company. That would send him to his graded debut, which was at FG in the Lecomte, but that did not go well. After a month, the trainer hopes to have figured out where this horse went wrong, and his placement here should show that he is confident for a much better result.

#11- Tko (Fractious, ridden by A Beschizza)- This gelding has won two of eight races so far, with the biggest win coming in August at the Grade 2 Best Pal at DMR. He followed that up well by running fourth in the always very tough Grade 1 Hopeful, and ended up running in the BC Juvenile. He would disappoint there, and five days later he was gelded. That did not pay an immediate dividend, as he finished in the same 8th position a month later in the LA Futurity, though only missed by a length.

#12- Sports Page (John Henry, ridden by R Bejarano)- Got off to an excellent start for his career for Aer Stables, finishing 3rd in the DMR Futurity, 2nd in the Breeders Futurity, and then second in the BC Juvenile. In each of them, he could have very easily been the winner. If he wins something other than his maiden, and he will eventually, it will be in the silks of John Henry, who picked him up in private sales for $700.000 in early December. Did not hit the board in his John Henry debut, the Jerome, but didn’t run badly.

#13- Sea Gold (Night Rider Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- Picked up for just $25.000 in a claimer, a race that ended up being his third straight win. Night Rider took his time with the gelding by Golden and would not enter him until last month in the Pasco Stakes. Ran well there, placing second after losing the shadow roll. Should continue on an upward trajectory, but this is a big step forward here.

#14- Breath Of The Wild (Smokey Stover, ridden by D Davis)- The trainer may have lost Sea Gold for $25.000, but he can still breathe easier knowing he has this immaculately bred horse in his stable. He’s more than just a breeding prospect, as he is getting it done on the track with three wins and five in the money finishes out of his seven starts. His lone stake win is the Sleepy Hollow for NY-breds, but his fourth place finish in the Lecomte last month was a good effort as well.

Prediction: 6-12-9-14

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES