Speed King was just that in the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 25 at Oaklawn, wiring a field in the major 1 1/16-miles Kentucky Derby prep race.

The setup was different for Speed King in his last start, Oaklawn’s $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 23. Madaket Road grabbed the lead and Speed King, fourth early, labored during the second half of the race and finished 10^th, beaten 15 lengths by Coal Battle.

Speed King has a chance at redemption in the nine-furlong $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) Saturday for his Hot Springs connections, co-owner Ted Bowman and trainer Ron Moquett.

“We want a good trip,” Moquett said Thursday afternoon. “I think the other day we didn’t get a very favorable trip and it was my fault because I asked the rider (Rafael Bejarano) to take him back to save ground and we got caught wide. I really believe we’re more a representation of the Southwest than we are of the Rebel, if we get a good trip.”

Bejarano retains the mount on Speed King, who is scheduled to break from post 5 in the nine-horse field. The gray son of Volatile, a Grade 1 winner sprinting, is 15-1 on the morning line.

Moquett laughed when asked if Speed King will be more of a forward factor Saturday.

“I’m not stating that, but I’m just saying that I’m not going to tell the rider to take back,” he said.

The Arkansas Derby will offer 200 total points (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) to its top five finishers toward Kentucky Derby starting eligibility. Speed King ranks 23^rd on the latest Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 25 points. The race is limited to 20 starters.

Team Lukas

Two Oaklawn maiden special weight graduates will chase Kentucky Derby qualifying points next month in Kentucky for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

One needs them. The other doesn’t.

Lukas said Thursday morning that Caldera will be wheeled back in the $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) April 5 at Keeneland, while American Promise is headed to the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) April 12 at Keeneland.

Caldera could have punched his Kentucky Derby ticket in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) last Saturday at Fair Grounds, but he finished a troubled eighth, beaten 36 lengths by Oaklawn-raced Tiztastic.

Caldera stumbled and was “brushed by rivals on both sides at the start,” according to footnotes from the official race chart, steadied near the wire the first time and was never a threat in the 1 3/16-miles race.

Caldera was also under consideration for the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) Saturday at Oaklawn, but Lukas decided on the Louisiana Derby because the additional week would give the Liam’s Map colt another shot in a Kentucky Derby points race if he misfired at Fair Grounds.

“That was the whole idea,” Lukas said. “I tell you what, he didn’t get a chance to run at all. When they fall like that out of the gate, they don’t pick it up. It’d be a miracle for him to win.”

Caldera earned 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for finishing second, beaten a nose by Getaway Car, in the $400,000

Sunland Park Derby at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 16 at Sunland Park. Caldera launched his 3-year-old campaign with a front-running 5 ½-length maiden special weight victory Jan. 17 at Oaklawn. That race was also 1 1/16 miles.

Like the Arkansas Derby and Louisiana Derby, the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass will award 200 total points (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) to its top five finishers toward Kentucky Derby starting eligibility. The race is limited to 20 starters. Caldera, who is owned by MyRacehorse, ranks 40^th on the official Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 10 points.

American Promise secured a Kentucky Derby spot after winning his last start, the $500,000 Virginia Derby March 15 at Colonial Downs. American Promise collected 50 points for his track-record performance – 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.41 – and has 55 overall to rank eighth.

American Promise returned to the work tab Tuesday morning at Oaklawn, covering five furlongs in :59.80 in advance of the 1 1/16-mile Lexington.

“I don’t want a seven-week break, trying to win the Kentucky Derby,” Lukas said. “The whole idea is trying to win the Derby and I think in order to win the Derby, I would feel better if I had another out in him.”

American Promise broke his maiden Dec. 29, which marked Oaklawn’s third annual card exclusively for 2-year-olds.

Innovator, who also broke his maiden Dec. 29 at Oaklawn for Lukas, is pointing for the $600,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) May 3 at Churchill Downs. Innovator was removed from Kentucky Derby consideration after finishing eighth in the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at 1 1/8 miles last Saturday at Turfway Park.

“He’ll be really tough there,” Lukas said. “I’m going to keep him at a mile or under from now on.”

Lukas does have an Arkansas Derby entrant in Bestfriend Rocket, who is owned by prominent Arkansas businessman Frank Fletcher. Bestfriend Rocket has won three of his last four starts, including a 1 1/16-mile allowance race March 2 at Oaklawn. It marked the Curlin colt’s first start for Lukas.

“Why not?” Lukas said. “His (speed) numbers say that be belongs.”

Bestfriend Rocket is 20-1 on the morning line for Lukas, who won the Arkansas Derby in 1984 with a filly, Althea, and again in 1985 with Tank’s Prospect. Lukas, 89, is a four-time Kentucky Derby winner.

Honor Marie Returns Saturday

Grade 2 winner Honor Marie is scheduled to make his 4-year-old debut in the inaugural $145,000 American Pharoah Stakes for older horses Saturday at Oaklawn.

The 1 1/16-miles American Pharoah, for horses that haven’t won a stakes race in 2024-2025, drew a strong cast of 10, including 3-1 program favorite Maycocks Bay for trainer Michael Stidham and Bishops Bay, the early 7-2 second choice, for trainer Brad Cox. Maycocks Bay and Bishops Bay land in the American Pharoah after scratching from the $500,000 New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles last Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Honor Marie hasn’t started since finishing eighth, beaten 34 lengths by champion Fierceness, in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) at 1 ¼ miles Aug. 24 at Saratoga. The American Pharoah will be Honor Marie’s first start against older horses.

“It had been a long year and we just wanted to give him a little bit of a break after the Travers,” trainer Whit Beckman said Wednesday afternoon. “It turned out to be the right thing. He’s grown up a lot, put on a good amount of mass. He just looks like an older, more solid horse. He’s moving really, really well. At the end of last year, you could tell time was catching up with him.”

After winning the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles in November 2023 at Churchill Downs, Honor Marie prepped for the Triple Crown at Fair Grounds. He was runner-up in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at 1 3/16 miles before finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Belmont Stakes. The late-running son of Honor Code then ran in the Travers, which was also his first start in blinkers.

Honor Marie removes blinkers for the American Pharoah.

“I don’t think they were of any use in the Travers,” Beckman said. “We thought maybe we might be able to change a little bit of his style, but I think it’s just him.”

Honor Marie was again based this winter at Fair Grounds, where he recorded 10 published workouts, the first coming Jan. 17. Beckman said the American Pharoah is a good spot to ease Honor Marie back into graded-stakes company.

“We just decided, yeah, we would give him a shot here,” said Beckman, who trains Honor Marie for Ribble Farms and K E M Racing Stable. “We could give him a few more works, but at the end of the day you’ve got to run them at some point, so we might as well start here.”

Honor Marie (5-1) is scheduled to break from post 9 under Jose Ortiz. A $40,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate in 2022, Honor Marie has a 2-2-0 record from eight lifetime starts and earnings of $638,675. The American Pharoah also drew Grade 3 winner Liberal Arts for Cox, Grade 2-placed Bendoog for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and Quality Chic, runner-up in the $175,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 5 at Oaklawn for trainer Jason Cook.

The American Pharoah goes as the 11^th race, with probable post time 5:12 p.m. (Central).