Grade 1 winner Timberlake registered his fifth breeze Feb. 16 since resuming training for Brad Cox at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. One of the most talented 2-year-olds of 2023, Timberlake is scheduled to make his sophomore debut in Oaklawn Park‘s Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 24.
Campaigned by Siena Farm and WinStar Farm, the Into Mischief colt worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Friday morning in New Orleans.
“It was a really good smooth five-eighths,” Cox told TwinSpires Racing’s Abbey Huffman. “I was really impressed with the move. He went 1:00 1/5, out (six furlongs in) 1:13, and out (seven furlongs in) 1:26 4/5. It was a big league move but look he’s a big league horse.”
The 1 1/16-mile Rebel offers a purse of $1.25 million and is worth 50 Road to the Kentucky Derby points to the victor. Timberlake currently sports 16 points, courtesy of his victory in last year’s Champagne Stakes (G1) and fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). He sits in the 10th slot on the Kentucky Derby (G1) points standings.
“I think the Rebel is going to be a good race,” Cox said. “He’s coming off a freshening so we wanted to put some air in him. He got a good blow out and he’s set up for a big run.”
Cox’s impressive Fair Grounds maiden winner Just a Touch also breezed Friday morning, drilling five panels in 1:00.
“Overall, it was a good move,” Cox said. “(He’s a) talented horse. He’s behind some of these other horses with seasoning but I think he can make up for his lack of seasoning with the talent that he has.”
Cox indicated that the 3-year-old son of Justify would be pointing toward the March 2 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, a 50-point prize on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
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