By Jarrod Horak
The Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on Feb. 6 is for 3-year-olds traveling 1 1/16 miles on the main track and the scheduled post time is 5:40 PM ET, and this is a Kentucky Derby 2026 points race.
Southwest Stakes field (race 11):
1 – Reclamation (30-1)
2 – D’code (3-1)
3 – Butane (4-1)
4 – Rancho Santa Fe (15-1)
5 – Litmus Test (SCRATCHED)
6 – Circle Tap (30-1)
7 – Liberty National (10-1)
8 – Spirit of Royal (30-1)
9 – Strategic Risk (9-2)
10 – Bricklin (20-1)
11 – Silent Tactic (20-1)
12 – Baytown Dreamer (30-1)
13 – Soldier N Diplomat (12-1)
14 – Sleepingonfreedom (30-1)
Southwest Analysis
Reclamation was beaten 13 lengths as a 19-1 outsider in his local sprint bow (D’code 1st), and he added lasix, dueled, and graduated by 4 lengths at six panels second time out. His debut pilot Ramon Vazquez is back in the saddle and he should impact the pace from the rail.
D’code was the favorite in his local sprint bow on Dec. 14 and he dueled from post 11 and pulled well clear to score by 8 1/4 lengths. The $775k Speightstown colt stretches out and might be the one to catch.
Buetane was 30 cents on the dollar in his dirt sprint bow at Del Mar last summer and he chased from second and won by 3 1/2 lengths. He shipped to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Hopeful second time out and he ran into unbeaten 2-year-old champ Ted Noffey and ended up a distant second. He returned from a layoff of more than four months and rallied to finish a clear second as the beaten 1-2 favorite in the San Vicente (G2) at seven panels on Jan. 10. He drilled a 6f bullet at SA on Jan. 25 and figures to stalk the pace under Joel Rosario.
Rancho Santa Fe stalked and scored by a length at 7-1 odds in his one mile debut at Ellis Park last summer. He was 2-1 in a dirt route at Keeneland second time out and he stalked wide and won by a length, and the 2-3 finishers were next-out winners. I made him my top choice in the local Smarty Jones at this trip on Jan. 3 and he never had a chance. The pace was very slow and he raced wide under Florent Geroux and ended up 5th of 8 (beaten 10 lengths). Flavien Prat is his new rider and he should work out a better trip this time. He breezed a half-mile at Oaklawn on Jan. 17 and went a four panels from the gate at Fair Grounds on Jan. 24.
Litmus Test – SCRATCHED.
Circle Tap stretched out, added blinkers, and stalked and graduated by 3 lengths at this course and distance on Dec. 27.
Liberty National was up the track at 12-1 odds in his extended sprint bow at Keeneland last fall. He stretched out second time out and looked good graduating by 4 1/4 lengths at 4-1 odds at Churchill in November. He was the favorite in the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds on Dec. 20 and the race flow was against him and he rallied for the place in an okay effort. He drilled a Fair grounds bullet for this on Jan. 17 and his winning rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. stays put.
Spirit of Royal stretched out, added lasix, and rallied to graduate by a length and a half at Oaklawn on Jan. 2. He earned a decent late pace rating last time and will try to get involved late.
Strategic Risk stretched out and romped by 9 lengths in the Florida Sire In Reality at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream on Nov. 29, and he shipped to Oaklawn, attended below par splits, and won by 4 1/2 lengths in the Smarty Jones last time. The pace will probably be quicker this time and we will learn more about him in this spot.
Bricklin added blinkers and earned his diploma in a dirt sprint second time out. He was 6th of 7 as a 54-1 outsider in the Street Sense (G3) at 1 1/16 miles in October, and he added lasix and wired the field from the inside post in a flat mile optional-claiming affair on Jan. 3. He loses lasix and should impact the pace.
Silent Tactic won his all-weather route debut at Woodbine and he landed the place in the Grey Stakes (G3) at that same venue second time out. The $500k Tacticus colt switched to dirt and rallied for the place in an okay effort in the Smarty Jones last time. The wide post does not do him any favors.
Baytown Dreamer finished third as an 84-1 outsider in the Smarty Jones last time. I am expecting him to chase wide and fade out of contention.
Soldier N Diplomat stalked and scored by a neck in his sprint bow at Saratoga, and he was beaten a dozen lengths in the Hopeful second time out. He dropped in class and cruised by 9 lengths as the favorite in a flat mile optional-claiming affair at Churchill in October.
Sleepingonfreedom rallied for the place at 6-1 odds in his five furlong bow at Churchill and the show finisher was a next-out winner. This one dueled and graduated by a neck as the favorite at 6 1/2 furlongs second time out and the top two were more than nine lengths clear of the rest. He stretched out and rallied to win an allowance affair in the slop as the favorite at this distance at Churchill on Nov. 11. He was a wide 4th of 8 from the outside post in the Smarty Jones on Jan. 3, and he is marooned in post 14 this time.
Southwest Video