Just Steel will have another chance to secure Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points in Oaklawn Park's $800,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Jan. 27, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Jan. 10.
The 1 1/16-mile Southwest is Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races, a series that continues with the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 24 and $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 30. The Southwest will offer 42 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.
Just Steel collected five qualifying points for a runner-up finish in the $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 1. Just Steel, in his second career start around two turns, was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by late-running Catching Freedom after holding a narrow lead in the final furlong.
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"I really feel like I was a little bit to blame," Lukas said. "I was a little concerned about maybe getting him tightened down too much early, with the four-race series in mind. He came up a little bit short the last sixteenth. I blame myself a little bit. He ran a really strong race, but he did come up a little bit short."
Just Steel returned to the work tab Thursday morning at Oaklawn, covering five furlongs in 1:02 on a fast track.
Just Steel made seven starts as a 2-year-old, breaking his maiden by a nose Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course and posting a sharp 2 1/2-length victory in the $222,505 Ed Brown Stakes Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs. Sandwiched between those sprint victories were three consecutive losses, including a sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 7 at Keeneland.
"Hopefully, we can build on that and he'll definitely, I think, show a stronger race the next time," Lukas said. "But I don't want his best race in January. I'd like to see it in maybe April or May."
Lukas trains Just Steel, a $500,000 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate, for John Bellinger and Brian Coelho of BC Stables. Lukas is seeking his second Southwest victory after Big Sur upset future Triple Crown race winners Lil E. Tee and Pine Bluff in 1992.
Also pointing for the Southwest are Otto the Conqueror for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and Liberal Arts for trainer Robbie Medina.
A son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense , Otto the Conqueror won the Springboard Mile Stakes Dec. 15 at Remington Park in his last start. Liberal Arts won the Street Sense Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs in his last start.
Nominations to the Southwest and three other stakes races to be run Jan. 27 at Oaklawn—$250,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, $150,000 King Cotton Stakes for older sprinters and $150,000 American Beauty Stakes for older female sprinters—close Jan. 13.
The 2024 Southwest carries a record purse after being worth $750,000 in 2020-23.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
