Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Moon sparkles in Rebel
HOT SPRINGS — As he sat near his locker in the jockeys’ dressing room, Luis Saez ran the back of his right hand across his forehead, a sure sign that he was nearly as relieved as he was thrilled to have just ridden Magnum Moon to a 31/2-length victory in the $900,000 Grade II 1 1/16-mile Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.
Magnum Moon won in 1:42.68 before a season-high crowd of 37,500. Solomini, the 6-5 favorite, finished second, a head in front of Combatant in third. Title Ready finished fourth, 11/2 lengths behind Combatant and three-quarters of a length in front of Sporting Chance, fifth in the field of 10. “I had to make a very tough decision,” Saez said. Specifically, Saez spoke of his choice to stay on Sporting Chance or switch to Magnum Moon, by Malibu Moon, for the Rebel. Sporting Chance is trained by D. Wayne Lukas and Magnum Moon
by Todd Fletcher, both members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Saez rode Sporting Chance’s past three races, including a victory in the Grade I Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last summer and a third-place finish in Oaklawn’s Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 16. He also rode Magnum Moon’s previous two races, a maiden 6-furlong victory at Gulfstream Park in January and a win at Tampa Bay Downs in an optional-claiming race over 1 mile, 40 yards on Feb. 15.
“This was a big step up in class against accomplished, seasoned colts,” Fletcher said. “He trained very well heading into it. We just hoped he could handle the continued rise in class.”
Saez said Magnum Moon, off as the 3-1 second choice, was easy work for him in the Rebel. He shot out of the gate first and quickly settled in behind a pace set, in order, by Title Ready, Curlin’s Honor, and Solomini through a quarter mile in 23.42. Magnum Moon was in third through a half in 47.15, three-quarters of a length behind Title Ready and Curlin’s Honor, with Sporting Chance, by Tiznow, a halflength back and positioned off Magnum Moon’s right flank.
“We got a perfect trip,” Saez said. “We have such a good horse, I just kind of let him go.”
“I thought we won it about as smoothly as we could’ve hoped for,” Pletcher said.
Magnum Moon made gradual work forward and was within a length of pacesetter Title Ready through three-quarters in 1:11.26, but as the field approached the head of the stretch, Magnum Moon moved in front and took command. Though he drifted slightly right toward the middle of the track in a common sign of equine fatigue through the final 1/16th, Magnum Moon’s victory remained unthreatened. “He proved he’s a very good horse,” Saez said. “He just took off, but he might’ve been a little tired at the end.”
“There’s nothing like when it actually happens,” Pletcher said. “You can always prepare for it and hope for it and all that, but it’s still nice for the horse to go out there and prove it.”
After a troubled trip in the Southwest, Sporting Chance had a clear lane through the homestretch of the Rebel but failed to fire.
Lukas said he has primarily concentrated on Sporting Chance’s stamina in training, which included a 1-mile workout in 1:41.4 on March 5. It was in part motivated by a nearly six-month break from races between the Hopeful and Southwest after knee surgery.
“He has a lot of natural speed,” Lukas said from his barn office, ten hours before the Rebel. “I’m just trying to work on his endurance. I’m optimistic we’re going to get a good effort, but it’s a damn tough race.”
Pletcher said he understood the dilemma Saez faced.
“Sporting Chance is a very nice horse,” he said, “and Wayne’s one of the greatest trainers, if not the greatest trainer of all time, so he had a very difficult decision.”