Keepmeinmind recorded his third local workout this month at Oaklawn – zipping 5 furlongs in 1:00 over a fast track Tuesday morning under regular rider David Cohen – in advance of the colt’s 2021 debut in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds Feb. 15. The time ranked No. 1 among 40 published at the distance.
“Really good,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said Wednesday morning. “It worked out good, actually. Just right at the quarter pole, like David said, he looked up and said there was a horse about 6 or 7 lengths in front of him and he had a little target to run at. It kind of worked out really well.”
Keepmeinmind recorded splits of :25 for his opening quarter-mile, :37 for three furlongs and :48.20 for a half-mile before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.80 and seven in 1:26.80, according to clockers. Diodoro said Keepmeinmind worked from the five-eighths pole to the regular finish line.
Keepmeinmind had previously recorded half-mile breezes Jan. 6 and Jan. 12 at Oaklawn.
“He’s starting to become a pretty good work horse,” Diodoro said.
Keepmeinmind raced four times last year, finishing second in the $400,000 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland before breaking his maiden as the 2-1 favorite in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.
The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is Oaklawn’s second of four Kentucky Derby points races.
Keepmeinmind ranks second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points, according to Churchill Downs. Unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Essential Quality has 30 points to top the standings. Essential Quality, the probable 2-year-old male champion, is under consideration for the Southwest, trainer Brad Cox said.
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