HOT SPRINGS -- To help compensate for a prominent racetrack's troubles, officials at Oaklawn Park have split the field for the Grade II 1 1/16-mile Rebel Stakes into two divisions for what will become the 59th and 60th runnings of the race Saturday.
Nineteen 3-year-old horses will run in separate Rebels for separate purses of $750,000. Nine are entered in the first Rebel of the day, which is the eighth race on the 11-race program that has a scheduled post time of 4:57 p.m. Ten are entered in the second division, the 10th race, scheduled to start at 6:06 p.m.
The Rebels are two of four stakes races on the card. Class-packed fields of older horses will go in the Grade II $350,000 1 1/16-mile Azeri Stakes for fillies and mares 4 years old and up, and the $350,000 1 1/16-mile Essex Handicap for horses 4 years old and up. Post time for the Azeri is scheduled for 4:21 p.m., and post time for the Essex is set for 5:29 p.m.
With significant Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line, the Rebels will draw the bulk of interest from racing followers worldwide. Each will offer totals of 63.75 points, with 37.5 points to the winners.
"It was extremely kind of Oaklawn to really step up and help the industry," said jockey Mike Smith, a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame who will ride entrants in both Rebels. "It helps Oaklawn, too. Now you got some just absolutely wonderful horses in the Rebel that might have missed it. It's really helped the industry, and they're going to have a great day of racing that will really be fun to watch from all around the country."
Since mid-December, 22 horses have been euthanized after they were injured in races or training at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb. Santa Anita management suspended racing March 5, which led to the cancellation of the track's San Felipe Stakes, an 85-point Derby prep that was scheduled for March 9.
Oaklawn President Louis Cella offered to split the Rebel into two races if enough displaced horses needed a points race in their connections' pursuits of spots in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 4.
The Rebel originally offered a purse of $1 million and 85 Derby qualifying points. Oaklawn agreed to offer an extra $500,000 to the total purse if the Rebel was split. Since each Rebel offered a purse equal to 75 percent of the original, each race would offer an equal percentage of qualifying points, according to Derby qualification rules.
Santa Anita reopened for training Monday, but a filly named Princess Lili B broke bones in both forelegs on the track Thursday and was euthanized.
"It is unacceptable to the public and, as people who deeply love horses, to everyone at the Stronach Group and Santa Anita," said Belinda Stronach, president of the Stronach Group, owners of Santa Anita.
"It's just devastating," Smith said. "It's so sad. Hopefully, we'll come together within ourselves as a strong industry and pick this thing up and get it back right again."
Game Winner and Improbable -- currently ranked first and second, respectively, on Horse Racing Nation's Kentucky Derby media poll -- have both shipped to Oaklawn from Santa Anita for the Rebels. Both are trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Improbable is the 3-5 morning-line favorite in the eighth race, and Game Winner is the 4-5 favorite in the 10th.
Game Winner, a son of Candy Ride owned by Gary and Mary West, and Improbable, by City Zip, have not raced as 3-year-olds. Game Winner was undefeated in four starts last year, including the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill on Nov. 2. Improbable was undefeated in three, including the Grade I Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 8.
"They're going to be tough, those preps," Baffert said. "It will be tough to win one. We'll see what happens."
Baffert has trained a record six Rebel winners.
Another California shipper, Galilean, owned by Denise Barker and trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, is the 3-1 second choice in the first Rebel. Omaha Beach, trained by Richard Mandella, is the 7-2 second choice in the second division.
Four other California-based Rebel entrants were shipped to Arkansas this week, including Gunmetal Gray for Hollendorfer, Extra Hope for Mandella, Easy Shot for trainer Keith Desormeaux, and Parsimony for trainer Doug O'Neill.
"I think a lot of us are very fond of Oaklawn, so this was kind of a no-brainer," O'Neill said. "When the racing office, management talked about splitting it, it gave you the confidence to put your horse on the plane and not get worried about getting in."
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Oaklawn's leading trainer nine times since 2007, trains six Rebel entrants, including Long Range Toddy, a son of Take Charge Indy owned by Willis Horton of Marshall, who is currently ranked 14th on the Derby points list. The winner of the Springboard Mile at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on Dec. 16, Long Range Toddy finished second in Oaklawn's $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 25 and third in the Grade III $500,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 18.
Jon Court will ride Long Range Toddy in the first Rebel division.
"I have nothing but the highest expectations," Court said.
Among Oaklawn horsemen to have applauded Oaklawn's Rebel split is trainer Chris Hartman.
"It was quite a work of sportsmanship by the management," said Hartman, who trains Chris Wilkins' Corruze, entered in the early Rebel. "It's very unique, and it definitely makes it more interesting, for sure."
Sports on 03/16/2019