Strong Mandate, Tapiture get back to work in Southwest

At this time a year ago, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas had a fairly

deep bench of classic candidates, including eventual divisional champion Will

Take Charge and Preakness winner Oxbow. For the time being, Lukas will be

relying solely on Strong Mandate to reach similar heights as the Grade 1-winning

son of Tiznow commences his sophomore campaign against 11 rivals Monday in the

Grade 3, $300,000

Southwest

at Oaklawn Park.

The Southwest, which has found a popular placement on the Presidents' Day

holiday in recent years, is contested at 1 1/16 miles, the same distance as the

upcoming $600,000 Rebel on March 15. Oaklawn's series of classic preps concludes

on April 12 with the $1 million Arkansas Derby over 1 1/8 miles.

Strong Mandate reeled off two impressive wins at Saratoga last summer,

cruising by 4 1/2 lengths over maiden foes on August 17, and then returning 16

days later with a 9 3/4-length romp in the prestigious Hopeful over seven

furlongs. Though he regressed with a seventh-place finish in the Champagne next

out, Strong Mandate rebounded with a solid third-place finish, two lengths

behind New Year's Day, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, where he

was forced to use speed early to overcome post 13.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that he got a little

tired (in the Smarty Jones), but I wasn't surprised," trainer Mark Casse said.

"But I'm happy with where we are and we got a race over the track so that should

be to our advantage."

Ride On Curlin has already faced some of the major Southwest players,

finishing behind Tapiture in the Iroquois at Churchill Downs in September, ahead

of Strong Mandate in the Champagne, and behind Coastline in the $61,000 Street

Sense at Churchill in October. A son of Curlin, who captured the Rebel and

Arkansas Derby in 2007, Ride On Curlin prepped in a six-furlong allowance last

month, which he won by 2 1/2 lengths.

Also entering the Southwest off sharp allowance tallies are Bourbonize, who

is now two-for-two after a four-length triumph going a mile in the slop on

January 10, and Kendall's Boy, a speedy son of Sky Mesa who went gate-to-wire

going six furlongs at Fair Grounds the following day.