Anne Marie Duff

THE Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn sees the return of the Kentucky Derby favourite and Eclipse Award winning two-year-old American Pharoah from the Bob Baffert stable.

The two-year-old champion male who won a pair of Grade 1 races in three career outings last year but will be making his first start outside of California in the Rebel, a prep for the Arkansas Derby. He has been moving well in training.

Ken McPeek has the race’s probable second choice in The Truth Or Else, second here in the Southwest Stakes last time.

Last year’s top filly Untapable also returns at Oaklawn in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes against five rivals. The Breeders’ Cup Distaff heroine also won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Mother Goose Stakes and Cotillion Stakes in 2014. The filly will have a new rider in John Velazquez, after Rosie Napravnik’s retirement.

In the Razorback Stakes, Steve Asmussen also brings back one of last season’s top three-year-old colts in Tapiture against a decent field of seven including graded performer Ride On Curlin.

Tapiture romped home in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn last year before just missing by a half-length in the Rebel Stakes.

He finished second in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile last time.

The Razorback also features Grade 1 scorer Golden Ticket and Grade 3 hero Midnight Hawk.

SANTA ANITA

The Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares on dirt features top females Tiz Mignight and Todd Pletcher’s four time winner Dear Dorothy.