Liberal Arts, unbeaten Carbone among Southwest dozen

Jan 28, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Saturday’s $800,000 Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park has attracted a full field of 12 sophomores, including points race winners Liberal Arts and Otto the Conqueror as well as unbeaten Carbone in his stakes debut.

The second leg of Oaklawn’s four-race series on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Southwest offers points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five eligible finishers. The 1 1/16-mile contest serves as a stepping stone to the Feb. 24 Rebel (G2) and the March 30 Arkansas Derby (G1).

Liberal Arts, from the final crop of Hall of Famer Arrogate, is currently fifth on the leaderboard with a total of 13 points. The Robbie Medina trainee has improved with added distance in every start, a pattern that’s continued through a pair of scoring races at Churchill Downs. A closing third in the one-mile Iroquois (G3), Liberal Arts stepped up to win the Street Sense (G3) over this distance on a sloppy track. Cristian Torres retains the mount.

Carbone has been impressive in both starts so far for Steve Asmussen, with front-running romps in a sprint maiden at Churchill and a one-mile allowance at Oaklawn. The son of champion sprinter Mitole, who raced for the same connections, has earned the chance to test the Derby trail. Ricardo Santana Jr. is back aboard the Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt homebred.

#8 Carbone gives Steve Asmussen another win on today's card in R8 at Oaklawn! @RSantana_jr was aboard. 🌟

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/4DFm5qBdy0

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) December 31, 2023

Joel Rosario picks up the mount on Asmussen’s more experienced entrant, Otto the Conqueror, a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) champion Street Sense. Last seen banking 10 points in his successful stakes and two-turn debut in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park, Otto the Conqueror brings a three-race winning streak into the Southwest. The Three Chimneys Farm runner has not lost since his unveiling at Ellis Park, where he was second to Liberal Arts.

Two are advancing from Oaklawn’s initial scoring race, the Jan. 1 Smarty Jones S. – runner-up Just Steel and fifth Mystik Dan. Just Steel was stretching back out that day from a pair of sprints, including a score in the Nov. 25 Ed Brown S. at Churchill, and trainer D. Wayne Lukas believed that he’ll move forward fitness-wise. By 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify, Just Steel has drawn post 11 with Ramon Vazquez.

Mystik Dan is one of a pair representing Ken McPeek, along with recent Oaklawn maiden winner Common Defense. In his premiere, Common Defense was second to stablemate Lat Long, the subsequent third-placer in the Lecomte (G3).

Wynstock is 2-for-2 since stretching out to a route, most recently springing a 13-1 upset of the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). He’s ineligible for Derby points because trainer Bob Baffert is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc.

Other contenders are Magic Grant, the winner of the Clever Trevor S. and third in the Springboard Mile; Godolphin’s Maycocks Bay, who exits a 10-length allowance conquest at Fair Grounds for Mike Stidham; and the Brad Cox-trained Awesome Road, who’s cross-entered to Friday night’s Leonatus S. at Turfway Park, where he’s the 2-1 favorite on the morning line. Rounding out the cast are the maidens Linebacker and Charleston.

The 11th of 12 races at Oaklawn on Saturday, the Southwest is slated for 5:50 p.m. (ET). Watch and wager on TwinSpires.com.