Class President gamely wins the Rebel Stakes, Coady Media
Robert Yates
$1 Million Rebel Stakes (G2)
Lightly raced Class President got his nose down at the right time Sunday at Oaklawn.
Matching strides with Silent Tactic in the final 100 yards, Class President battled back under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez to post a nose victory in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) before an estimated crowd of 29,000.
Class President was making just his third career start in the Rebel, first around two turns and first outside Florida. Class President passed all three tests for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and an ownership group that includes the colt’s breeder, WinStar Farm (Kenny Troutt). It was Pletcher’s third victory in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, which is Oaklawn’s third Kentucky Derby qualifying race.
Silent Tactic finished 5 ¼ lengths ahead of Litmus Test, the 3-2 favorite who was trying to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his record-extending ninth Rebel victory. Litmus Test, in his 3-year-old debut, weakened after leading until late on the second turn.
Blackout Time, in his 3-year-old debut, finished fourth, followed, in order, by Soldier N Diplomat, Strategic Risk, Honey’s to Blame, Rancho Santa Fe and Time for Music.
Class President, an 8-1 shot, paid $19, $9 and $5. Silent Tactic paid $4.80 and $3. Litmus Test paid $2.60.
Class President raced just behind Litmus Test through a :46.62 half-mile before engaging the front-runner on the outside approaching the quarter pole. Class President took the lead turning for home, while Silent Tactic reached contention with a four-wide move. Class President, on the inside, held a head lead over Silent Tactic in midstretch. Silent Tactic put his in front with about 50 yards remaining, but Class President rallied to narrowly prevail. The winning time over a fast track was 1:43.21.
Class President was exiting a runner-up finish in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes (G2) Jan. 31 at Gulfstream Park.
The Rebel offered 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.
Class President, a son of Uncle Mo, raised his career earnings to $593,700 with his second victory.
Oaklawn’s four-race Kentucky Derby series concludes with the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) March 28.
Racing resumes Thursday at Oaklawn. First post is 12:30 p.m. (Central).
Rebel Quotes
Winning Jockey John Velazquez (Class President): “I thought I got it (photo). I was a little fearful because he got a little bit sharp going into the first turn. I let (the reins loose) and he was perfect from then on. I was happy and where I wanted to be. When we came down the stretch and the other horse passed him, he responded.
Winning Trainer Todd Pletcher via Text (Class President): “Very excited about his effort. We’ve been looking forward to getting him around two turns.”
Winning Co-Owner Elliott Walden, Win Star Farm (Class President): “It’s just really exciting. It’s a homebred, too. The farm’s very appreciative. Todd did a great job. Johnny did a great job. Looked Litmus Test in the eye turning for home and then went on, so this horse is really improving. Super excited.”
Second-Place Jockey Cristian Torres (Silent Tactic): “Tough beat, but that’s the game. He (Class President) beat me running. My horse, I’m happy with his effort. He ran how we were expecting him to run. We had a great trip and it worked out perfectly. We just got beat today.”
Third-Place Trainer Bob Baffert via Phone (Litmus Test): “I talked to (Flavien) Prat and he basically said that he was in the 1 hole, it’s a big horse, and he could probably get him going. He’s never trained like that. He’s a one-run kind of horse. He had to be farther back and make one run. He didn’t get tired. He was just sort of one pace, but you learn about these horses. Unfortunately, I learned in the (Kentucky) Derby about how Point Given wanted to run. It happens. Those were nice horses that beat him. He didn’t run bad, but we were hoping for a win. That’s why they have these races.”
Fourth-Place Jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. (Blackout Time): “He ran good. He ran really, really good for not running in so long. He put himself in a great spot. Turning for home, you could tell he was just going to be a little tired.”
$750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3)
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert remained unbeaten in Kentucky Oaks preps at Oaklawn after even-money favorite Explora delivered a hard-fought victory in Sunday’s $750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3).
Ridden by two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat, Explora edged Counting Stars by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/16-mile race run over a fast track. It was two lengths farther back to third-place finisher Sneaky Good, who was followed, in order, by Search Party, Knickleandime, Grade Is Free, Classic Glide, Taken by the Wind and Take Charge Macy. Taken by the Wind had previously been unbeaten in three starts. Newtown Pike was scratched, reducing the starting field to nine.
Explora represented the Southern California-based Baffert’s 100th career Oaklawn starter, but only the fourth in a Kentucky Oaks prep race. Explora kept Baffert’s record clean after he won the Fantasy – Oaklawn’s biggest two-turn race for 3-year-old fillies – in 1999 with Excellent Meeting and again in 2012 with Mamma Kimbo. Baffert’s third Fantasy starter, Jemima’s Pearl, ran third in 2012.
The Honeybee marked Explora’s first start outside California. After breaking sharply from post 8, Explora raced just behind front-runner Knickleandime, who took the field through a :23.45 opening quarter-mile, :47.70 half-mile and six furlongs in 1:12.49. Explora took the lead on the outside turning for home and opened a 1 ½-length in midstretch.
Counting Stars, seventh after a half-mile, gradually closed the gap on the outside in the final sixteenth of a mile before falling short. The winning time was 1:43.52.
Explora paid $4, $2.80 and $2.20. Counting Stars paid $7.20 and $4.40. Sneaky Good paid $3.60.
A daughter of champion Blame, Explora was a finalist for an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion 2-year-old filly after winning the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 4 at Santa Anita finishing second, beaten only three-quarters of a length, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 31 at Del Mar.
Explora was exiting a runner-up finish in the Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile Feb. 8 at Santa Anita. She was ridden for the first time Sunday by Prat.
Explora races for longtime Baffert clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Explora ($1,064,250) eclipsed $1 million in career earnings with her fourth victory from seven starts. Explora was purchased for $350,000 in May at Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
The Honeybee offered 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks, the country’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. The Honeybee, which carried a record purse in 2026, was the final local prep for the $1 million Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 27. The Fantasy is also 1 1/16 miles.
Honeybee Quotes
Winning Trainer Bob Baffer via Phone (Explora): “She was coming into this race the best she’s ever looked. We’re pretty proud of her effort. I was hoping that she would run that way and she showed up. It’s nice when they run like you hope.”
Winning Jockey Flavien Prat (Explora): “She was a real pro. We had a good draw. She jumped well and I was able to get her right off the pace and (was) traveling well all the way around. When she turned for home and I asked her, she gave me a good run. And at that point, I didn’t think anybody was going to make a run at her and Counting Stars came. And as soon as she felt her, she just regrouped and went on, so that’s a good sign.”
Winning Co-Owner Mike Pegram (Explora): “It feels pretty good. Beautiful day. She’s a beautiful horse and we got a good win today. We’re thinking about May and Churchill Downs (Kentucky Oaks) and she looked the part today. Hopefully, we can get there.”
Second-Place Jockey Francisco Arrieta (Counting Stars): “Definitely ran her race today. She’s back and I’m happy for that. I mean, she ran a huge race today. We were expecting that in the race before (Martha Washington) and she didn’t run well. She finished up running. Galloped out strong. She did a great job today. We got beat by a good horse.”
Eighth-Place Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. (Taken By the Wind): “She was in the outside post today and kind of broke out. After that, I tried to get her engaged in the race and she was really aggressive the first part and emptied out on me late.”$1 Million Rebel Stakes (G2)
