Southwest Stakes
Road to the Kentucky Derby > Southwest Stakes
Southwest Stakes Race Facts
- Location: Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, AR
- Inaugural Race: 1968
- Current Distance: 1 1/16 miles
- Track Type: Left-Handed Dirt
- Age Qualifications: Three-year-olds
- Status: Grade 3
- 2024 Purse: $800,000
- 2024 Race Date: Saturday, January 27th
As a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep-race, the Southwest Stakes awards 20 points to the winner, in addition to 10-6-4-2 allotments for second, third, fourth and fifth position finishers.
2023 Southwest Stakes Race Results
| POST | HORSE | JOCKEY / TRAINER | WIN / PLACE / SHOW |
|---|
6 | Arabian Knight | John R. Velazquez / Bob Baffert | $2.80 / $2.40 / $2.20 |
7 | Red Route One | Ricardo Santana, Jr. / Steven M. Asmussen | $6.60 / $4.60 |
5 | Frosted Departure | Francisco Arrieta / Kenneth G. McPeek | $6.20 |
1 | Sun Thunder | David Cabrera / Kenneth G. McPeek | |
3 | Jace's Road | Joseph Talamo / Brad H. Cox | |
2 | Corona Bolt | Flavien Prat / Brad H. Cox | |
9 | El Tomate | Orlando Mojica / Miguel Angel Silva | |
4 | Western Ghent | Cristian A. Torres / D. Wayne Lukas |
Exotic Payoffs:
- $1 Exacta (6-7) Paid: $11.70
- $0.50 Trifecta (6-7-5) Paid: $46.85
- $0.10 Superfecta (6-7-5-1) Paid: $24.11
Watch the 2023 Southwest Stakes
The History of the Southwest Stakes
Launched in 1968, the Southwest Stakes has become a key part of the Oaklawn Park series of preps for the Kentucky Derby. The second of the four Oaklawn preps, it’s also part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, for which the first five home get points on a 20-8-6-4-2 basis. It was promoted to grade three status in 2008.
The best horse to win the race is probably Smarty Jones, who won the Southwest Stakes by three-quarters of a length in 2004. He went on to win the remaining Oaklawn Derby preps, the Rebel Stakes and the Arkansas Derby, before winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
Two years later, Lawyer Ron completed the same treble that Smarty Jones did; he went on to win races such as the Whitney Handicap and Woodward Stakes. Belmont Stakes runner-up Denis of Cork won the race in 2008, while in 2012 one of the two divisions held that year was won by Secret Circle, later to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Coming off the back off a fantastic 2020 two-year-old season where he was crowned American Champion, Essential Quality showed similar form in his three-year-old debut with a win at the Southwest.
With a win in 2023, trainer Bob Baffert captured his 6th win at the Southwest, pulling ahead of Robert E. Holthus for most wins all time. Unfortunately for Baffert, the win did not translate to any RTKD points. As a result of his suspension following Medina Spirit's failed drug test after his win at the Kentucky Derby in 2021, Baffert will remain ineligible for RKTD points through 2023.
Southwest Stakes Past Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey / Trainer | Distance / Time |
|---|
2023 | Arabian Knight | John R. Velazquez / Bob Baffert | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.50 |
2022 | Newgrange | John R. Velazquez / Bob Baffert | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:45.83 |
2021 | Essential Quality | Luis Saez / Brad Cox | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:45.48 |
2020 | Silver Prospector | Ricardo Santana Jr. / Steven M. Asmussen | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:43.01 |
2019 | Super Steed | Terry J. Thompson / J. Larry Jones | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.05 |
2018 | My Boy Jack | Kent J. Desormeaux / J. Keith Desormeaux | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:46.00 |
2017 | One Liner | John R. Velazquez / Todd A. Pletcher | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:41.83 |
2016 | Suddenbreakingnews | Luis S. Quinonez / Donnie K. Von Hemel | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:45.14 |
2015 | Far Right | Mike E. Smith / Ron Moquett | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:47.50 |
2014 | Tapiture | Ricardo Santana Jr. / Steven M. Asmussen | 1 1⁄16 miles / 1:44.95 |
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