Three Technique likely to wait for Oaklawn Park's Rebel Stakes
by Oaklawn Barn Notes
Any rematch between the top two finishers of last week's Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park will likely wait until March.While Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said front-running winner Gold Street “most likely” will make his next start in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17, Smarty Jones runner-up Three Technique figures to skip the 1 1/16-mile race and await Oaklawn’s penultimate 2020 Kentucky Derby prep, said his trainer, Jeremiah Englehart.
Englehart said Three Technique is still under consideration for the Southwest, but his next stop is more likely the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 14. It serves as another steppingstone to the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11.
“Right now, he seems like he came back fine,” Englehart said. “He’s been back to the track. Probably the Rebel might be next for him.”
Englehart said he was pleased with Three Technique’s performance in the Smarty Jones, which marked his 3-year-old, stakes and two-turn debuts. Off as the 2-1 favorite, Three Technique was beaten 2 ¾ lengths by a loose-on-the-lead Gold Street after breaking a touch slow from the outside post in a field of nine. The one-mile Smarty Jones was run over a muddy surface and marked Gold Street’s third consecutive victory, all over wet tracks.
“I was pretty happy with the way he ran, all things considered,” Englehart said. “Steve’s horse ran a great race. Kind of was able to dictate his pace. We didn’t get off to the best start, but I thought for Three Technique it was the right move forward in stakes company and hopefully he’ll continue to improve.”
Owned by Bill Parcells, a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Three Technique closed 2019 with two dominating victories in New York and has been favored in all five career starts, including a maiden special weight sprint July 21 at Saratoga. Three Technique finished second, beaten 1 ¼ length by Basin, who returned to win the Hopeful Stakes (G1) later in the meet.
Basin, also trained by Asmussen, is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the Rebel. The Liam’s Map colt posted his third half-mile work this month on Sunday at Fair Grounds, stopping the clock in 51.20 seconds.
Gold Street meanwhile provided Asmussen with his first Smarty Jones victory and 84th Oaklawn stakes score overall. Asmussen, seeking his record-tying 11th Oaklawn training title, has at least one stakes win every year in Hot Springs since his first in 1996.
Gold Street, who was making his 3-year-old and two-turn debuts in the Smarty Jones, was exiting a 3 ½-length score over a sloppy track in the Dec. 21 Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds. Gold Street earned a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 95, a career-high, for his Smarty Jones victory.“Nice horse," Asmussen said. "That’s now three wins together in a row, all three on off racetracks. I think that the racetracks are definitely playing conducive to his natural style and he took advantage of it.”
Owned by Texan Mike McCarty, a longtime Asmussen client, Gold Street has finished first or second in his last five starts after running ninth in his Aug. 24 off-the-turf career debut at Ellis Park.
“He’s a big, strong colt that’s finally put it together,” Asmussen said. “There’s a lot of him there, and he’s in a very good rhythm and obviously on a three-race win streak.”
Gold Street earned 10 Kentucky Derby-qualifying points for his victory, with Three Technique receiving four. Gold Street, a $150,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is by Street Boss, who sired 2014 Arkansas Derby winner Danza. McCarty and Asmussen finished third in the 2006 Arkansas Derby with Private Vow.
In the Southwest, Gold Street figures to see stablemates Shoplifted and Silver Prospector, who finished third and fourth in the Smarty Jones and own previous Derby trail victories. Additionally, locally based Answer In is scheduled to make his 3-year-old in the Southwest for trainer Brad Cox. Answer In hasn’t started since finishing second to Shoplifted in the Remington Springboard Mile on Dec. 15.