American Pharoah begins year in Rebel Stakes

Hot Springs, AR (SportsNetwork.com) – Eclipse Award winner American Pharoah, making his 2015 debut, heads a field of seven 3-year-olds for Saturday’s $750,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The 1 1/16-mile Rebel is a prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11. A win is worth 50 points toward a place in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

American Pharoah, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, begins his 2015 season with the Rebel Stakes after missing the last three months of 2014 with a suspensory-related injury. Trained by Bob Baffert, American Pharoah will break from post 4 with jockey Victor Espinoza retaining the ride.

American Pharoah, owned by Zayat Stables, has not started since winning the FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita last Sept. 27. He won the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3 after finishing fifth in his debut race last August. American Pharoah has earned $361,500

Bob Baffert won last year’s Rebel with Hoppertunity and previously won with Secret Circle (2012), The Factor (2011) and Lookin At Lucky (2010).

The Truth Or Else, second in Oaklawn’s Southwest Stakes, has drawn the rail post with Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel again riding. The chestnut colt is owned by Harold Lerner and trained by Ken McPeek.

The Truth Or Else came from well off the pace to get second behind Far Right in the Southwest on Feb. 22.

“If we can get a little bit cleaner inside trip than we had last time, I think we’ll be fine,” McPeek said.

The 3-year-old was third in last year’s Champagne and Nashua Stakes and sixth in the Remsen Stakes on Nov. 29 at Aqueduct. The Truth Or Else has earned $197,950 in eight starts.

Champion filly Take Charge Brandi will not start the Rebel after an injury was discovered Tuesday morning. The 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner has a non-displaced chip in her right knee and will miss 60 days.

Here is the field for the Rebel in post position order: The Truth Or Else, Calvin Borel, Madefromlucky, John Velazquez, Tizwonderfulcreek, Belen Quinonez; American Pharoah, Victor Espinoza; Bold Conquest, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Paid Admission, Shaun Bridgmohan and Sakima, Ramon Vazquez.

The Rebel Stakes has an approximate post time of 7:06 p.m. ET.

Categorized in: Horses