The Showdown at Oaklawn and a up and comer

Well Monday is the big day as it's finally here, the Southwest Stakes. Big field of ten horses going.

$250,000 Southwest Stakes (gr. III, Race 9, 5:02 p.m.), 3-Year-Olds, 1 Mile
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Retap (KY), 117, Luis S. Quinonez
2. Loch Dubh (KY), 117, Jon K. Court
3. Silver City (KY), 117, Miguel Mena
4. Gresham (KY), 117, Calvin H. Borel
5. Old Fashioned (KY), 119, Ramon A. Dominguez
6. Buzzin and Dreamin (FL), 115, Israel Ocampo
7. Flat Out (FL), 119, Julio A. Garcia
8. Professor Z (KY), 117, Christopher A. Emigh
9. Poltergeist (TX), 117, Quincy Hamilton
10. Silver Bayer (KY), 115, Terry J. Thompson
11. Kick On (FL), 119, Ken S. Tohill

This is been penned to be really a three horse race. It would have been four if Square Eddie had not been injuired. Still it's between Silver City, Old Fashioned and Poltergeist. But I'm not going with either of those three as I'm going with my heart and picking Professor Z. Yeah he finished last in the Smarty, but he had an excuse of shedding his frog. I would have preferred to see him in the LA Derby, but Oaklawn horses do a bit better in the Derby, then Fair Grounds horses the past few years. I really would like to see Poltergeist get second as he beat Old Fashioned's stablemate Dr. Large, who I personally think will be the better of the two. And I'm going with Z's stablemate Retap for third. Now if OF proves me wrong and wins by daylight, then I'll be impressed. I'm wondering if Silver City is nothing, but talk as his stablemate Indygo Mountain bombed in Lousiana and is now off the trail. Now in Indygo's defence he had injury problems, but Oaklawn is a bit of a funky surface and not every horse likes it (Hard Spun being the biggest name).

Top three (Who I want):
Professor Z
Poltergeist
Retap

Who I think:
Old Fashioned
Poltergeist
Professor Z

I will be going with who I want for adding that total.

Also I applogize for not having other stakes races this weekend, it's just been too crazy for me to get everything together.

Keep an eye on Chef for later this year. He could give Notonthesamepage a run for his money in the sprinting ranks. He's by Smarty Jones out of a Fly So Free mare named Take the Cake. Now of course, he suprise everyone and do well in routes. We'll see how he does! Chart