‘Super’ upset
At 62-1, Super Steed shocks Southwest field at Oaklawn.
HOT SPRINGS — The winner has a long way to go to reach the veteran status of his trainer and jockey, but the older guys know all about the virtues of patience.
Larry Jones, 62, trained and Terry Thompson, 47, rode Super Steed — a son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver — to victory over 10 other 3-year-olds in the $500,000 1 1/16-mile Southwest Stakes before an estimated crowd of 19,500 at Oaklawn Park on Monday.
Super Steed started the Southwest at 62-1 after subpar performances in his past two races. He
came from ninth place and 5¼ lengths back through the first quarter mile to turn into the home stretch with a 3-length lead. He held off second-place Sueno through the wire to win by three-fourths of a length in 1:44.05.
Long Range Toddy, trained by Steve Asmussen, was third, 1¼ lengths behind Sueno, and the same margin in front of fourthplace Six Shooter.
Super Steed paid $126.40, $39.80 and $19.80 in his victory.
“I told Terry to just make sure this horse was on the lead as they
turned to home and let him take care of it from there,” Jones said. “He’s either good enough or he’s not. Just try to be there, and let’s see. He couldn’t have ridden him better.”
“Our goal was to give Super Steed an opportunity,” Thompson said. “Being an older rider, I could see the opportunity when it came. I knew if I could get a jump, I could get another length or two and have enough to hold off those other horses.”
Dwight Pruett’s Gray Attempt, trained by Jinks Fires, started the Southwest as the 4-1 second choice but was troubled in company with Jersey Agenda as they vied for the lead late in the first turn. Although Gray Attempt struck the rail, he recovered to lead through the half mile and three quarters, but he faded to finish last, 15¾ lengths behind Super Steed.
“It was kind of a dangerous situation,” Pruett said. “We were definitely concerned. We watched the replay a time or two, and it was a dangerous situation. Thank God no one got hurt.”
“We were in a very uncomfortable spot,” Gray Attempt’s rider Shaun Bridgmohan said. “After that, he got through and relaxed, but he did get pretty shook up, and that might have compromised his finishing kick.”
Pruett remains hopeful that with the 10 Road-to-theKentucky Derby points Gray Attempt earned with a win in Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 25, the colt comes back from the Southwest to continue his pursuit of a Derby berth.
Super Steed finished fourth as the even-money favorite in the Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Dec. 22, when Jones said his colt seemed uncomfortable throughout the day. The Oaklawn track was dominated by front-runners early in the season, an apparent speed bias that Jones said worked against closers such as Super Steed in the Smarty Jones.
“You could tell he didn’t feel well in the Fair Grounds race, and in the Smarty Jones, they ran a merry-go-round race,” Jones said. “Terry did a job today. He had him in a good spot.”
They both said experience paid off.
“I think as we get older, maybe we start seeing things
a little bit better,” Jones said. “We’re not quitting.”
“Today worked out great,” Thompson said. “Maybe that comes with riding a lot of races.”
Sueno was — with Cutting Humor and Olympic Runner — among the three colts shipped to Oaklawn for the Southwest.
Jockey Corey Lanerie said Sueno felt better than any 3-year-old he has ridden. Lanerie rode Lookin At Lee, trained by Asmussen, to a second-place finish in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
“Lookin At Lee was a very fine horse, and this one felt just as good as him or better,” Lanerie said.
Lanerie said Sueno’s gallop after the Southwest led him to believe the colt will improve
as the Derby preps get longer.
“I think he was the best horse in the race,” Lanerie said. “He’s got a lot of promise. If we go another 50 yards today, we win, no doubt. No doubt about it.”
The Southwest distributed 17 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the first four finishers, with 10 to first, 4 to second, 2 to third and 1 to fourth.
Since the points system was put into place beginning with the 2013 season, the 20th and final qualifier has made the field with an average of 23.8 points. The average for the past three seasons has increased to 30.3.
Jones said he will direct Super Steed toward Oaklawn’s Rebel Stakes and its 85 Derby points on March 16.