Brian’s Derby Preps: The Southwest Stakes

Brian Nadeau is back this year to offer insight and analysis on this year’s road to the Kentucky Derby. A handicapper at Horseplayer Now and Capital OTB, he’ll analyze every official Derby points race and the three Triple Crown races, back at Brooklyn Backstretch for the sixth year. Oaklawn Park: The Grade III, $500,000 Southwest at…

Mr. Z: Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?

As the field for the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes hit the eighth pole on Monday, owner Ahmed Zayat was probably thinking that he had a pretty good shot at winning his second Kentucky Derby prep this month, and a heck of a weekend. On Saturday, Zayat accepted the Eclipse Award for American Pharoah, last year’s…