Arabian Knight Romps in G3 Southwest
Arabian Knight (3c Uncle Mo x Borealis Night, by Astrology) kept his record perfect on Saturday with a 5 1/2 length victory in the Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Going 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy track, Arabian Knight broke best of all and immediately galloped to the lead. Galloping easily under John Velazquez, he had an iron hold on the pace and proved the slop was no problem as he continued to fly around the track.
The rest of the field couldn’t stick with him down the stretch as he steadily pulled away to a 5 ½ lengths victory when asked just once with the whip.
Trained by Bob Baffert for Zedan Racing Stables, Arabian Knight broke his maiden by 7 ½ lengths in his debut last November.
"What he did today—he ran 1:43 and change—that's racehorse time and he did it without taking a deep breath," Baffert said. "This was a big effort.”
The colt was a $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase who was then purchased as a 2-year-old at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds for a sale topping $2.3 million by Gary Young for Zedan Racing Stables.
The Corser Thoroughbreds-bred Arabian Knight is out of a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes placed Kinsley Kisses and graded stakes placed Spooky Woods in addition to the dam of stakes winner Connie K. The family also includes champion Big Drama.
A top sire year after year, Uncle Mo is the sire of a leading four 2023 stakes winners, one better than his Ashford studmate Munnings.