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Associated Press 19y

Afleet Alex, Rockport Harbor are set for Rebel Stakes

LITTLE ROCK -- Undefeated Rockport Harbor will make his
3-year-old debut Saturday in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in
Hot Springs, but his trainer warns that the horse won't be running
at 100 percent.

After months of fighting minor injuries, "Rocky" is healthy
enough to take on Afleet Alex and Greater Good in Saturday race,
won last year by Smarty Jones on his road to victory in the
Kentucky Derby.

"All systems are go for the Rebel. There is no Plan B," said
Rockport Harbor's trainer John Servis, who also conditioned Smarty
Jones.

Rockport Harbor gashed his right rear foot while winning the
Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in his last start on Nov. 27. The colt
also suffered a bruised left front foot last month, but no longer
favors the leg.

"The only bad thing is the timing," Servis said. "I was
hoping to have Rocky at 80 percent for the Rebel, but that's
unrealistic because of the time he's missed with the foot problems.
He'll probably be 65 to 70 per cent for the Rebel."

A field of five -- the smallest ever for the race -- is expected
for the $250,000 Rebel, a 1 1-16th-mile prep race on the road to
the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Steve Asmussen, who sends out Jazzy Gallop, says his
horse is fresh and ready for the test.

"I'm in a position of running a sharp horse against horses who
may not be at their best," Asmussen said. "For $250,000, it's
certainly worth taking a shot."

Jazzy Gallop is a son of Victory Gallop, who won the Rebel in
1998 and then spoiled Real Quiet's Triple Crown try in the Belmont
Stakes. Batson Challenge was also entered.

Rockport Harbor's debut, plus recent Oaklawn victories by Afleet
Alex and Greater Good, are expected to attract a crowd of more than
40,000. With partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 60s, track
officials may open the park's infield.

"This will probably be the biggest attendance for the Rebel,
with three very good horses prepping for the Derby," Afleet Alex
trainer Tim Ritchey said.

The largest crowd for the Rebel was in 1984, when 56,308 saw
Vanlandingham defeat Wind Flyer.

Afleet Alex also had a later-than-expected start as a
3-year-old, but Ritchey will still see his horse in three preps
before the Derby.

Afleet Alex skipped the one-mile Southwest Stakes on Feb. 19,
but won the Mountain Valley Stakes two weeks later. The colt
completed the six-furlong sprint in a track stakes-record-tying
1:09.4 under Jeremy Rose.

"I have always thought three prep races is the best route,"
Ritchey said. "My first goal was the Southwest. He probably could
have run the race but he probably wasn't fit enough to finish
strong. The Mountain Valley was in my plans, but I had to keep
quiet because I was afraid the race would not fill."

John Velazquez replaces Rose for the Rebel. The Eclipse
Award-winning rider will also be aboard for the Arkansas Derby on
April 16 and for the Triple Crown races, the Derby, Preakness and
Belmont Stakes.

"We wanted to have John ride him so he has been on horse before
the Kentucky Derby," Ritchey said. "When you get the opportunity
to get the best rider in the world, just the sheer experience level
has to give you the edge."

Greater Good won the Southwest after a poor start. The horse
reared in the gate but made up eight lengths in the final
quarter-mile to edge Munificence.

Stewart Elliott will ride Rockport Harbor, while John McKee will
be aboard Greater Good.

Ritchey said that, given Servis' success with Smarty Jones last
year -- winning the Rebel, the Arkansas Derby and the Kentucky
Derby, plus finishing within a length of winning the Triple Crown --
it was easy to consider the same path.

"It's a very nice track. You don't get extreme heat and extreme
cold," Ritchey said. "Florida might have been a good option. I
have been here before and I think it worked well for John Servis.
The atmosphere here is a good way to get to the Derby."

Ritchey said he's looking for Afleet Alex to win, but not at all
costs.

"I think we know where we're at," Ritchey said. "I don't want
the Rebel to be too tough of a race for him. It is a steppingstone
to the Derby and I don't want to see my horse peak before the first
Saturday in May."

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