Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Concert Tour draws post 7 in eight-horse Rebel Stakes
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The unbeaten Concert Tour will break from post 7 in a field of eight when he makes his twoturn debut Saturday in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
The 1 1/16-mile race that was drawn Tuesday rewards its winner with 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and anchors a 12-race card that features five stakes. First post is earlier than usual – noon Central.
Other Saturday highlights include champion Whitmore and C Z Rocket, the first two finishers in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, squaring off in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes; 2020 Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil returning in the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri; and Tax invading from South Florida to start as the 120-pound highweight in the $500,000 Essex Handicap.
Concert Tour has won a sixfurlong maiden special weight sprint and the Grade 2 San Vicente at seven furlongs in his two career starts, both at Santa Anita. Joel Rosario was aboard for both races and has the mount in the Rebel for Gary and Mary West and trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert also entered Hozier, a maiden special weight winner over 1 1/16 miles in his two-turn debut Feb. 15 at Santa Anita. Martin Garcia has the mount from post 3.
Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club winner Keepmeinmind, who is the top 3-year-old based at Oaklawn this winter, drew post 6 and will be ridden by David Cohen. Caddo River, winner of the Smarty Jones in January at Oaklawn, will start from the rail under Florent Geroux.
The complete field from the rail, with riders, is: Caddo River, Geroux; Big Lake, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Hozier, Garcia; Get Her Number, Javier Castellano; Twilight Blue, Brian Hernandez Jr.; Keepmeinmind, Cohen; Concert Tour, Rosario; and Super Stock, Joe Talamo.
The second- through fourthplace finishers in the Rebel also will receive Kentucky Derby points, on a scale of 20-10-5.
The Rebel goes as the 11th race with a post of 5:16 p.m. Central.
The forecast for Saturday is a high of 63 degrees and a 50 percent chance of rain showers, according to The Weather Channel. The infield is scheduled to be open.
Purses boosted 15 percent
Oaklawn Park on Tuesday announced plans to put an additional $2.5 million into overnight purses over the final eight weeks of the meet that closes May 1.
The move equates to a 15 percent purse increase and makes maiden special weight races worth $93,000; pushes high-end allowances to $110,000; and the bottom-level purse value to $27,000.
It is the largest “mid-season” purse increase in the history of the track, according to a press release from Oaklawn.
“It’s been an interesting year to say the least, but it is very gratifying to announce this purse increase nearly a year after shutting the race meet and casino down to fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lou Cella, president of Oaklawn, said in a press release. “I wasn’t sure we’d get here a couple weeks ago with all the bad winter weather, but our horsemen and fans are resilient.
“February ended with a tremendous weekend of racing and it was exciting to see fans back in the infield last week. I have no doubt the final eight weeks of racing are going to be exciting, especially with some of our marquee races still to come.”
Purses will be increased for the Rebel Day card on Saturday.