Blackout Time finished fourth in the Rebel Stakes and is set to compete in the upcoming Arkansas Derby. Co-owner Lance Gasaway expressed confidence in the horse's recovery and preparation. The race offers key points toward Kentucky Derby qualification.
Blackout Time, a colt sired by Not This Time, placed fourth in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) on March 1 at Oaklawn Park. This marked his return to racing after the Breeders' Futurity (G1) on October 4 at Keeneland, where he had last competed. In the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, the third Kentucky Derby prep race at the track, Blackout Time finished eight lengths behind the winner.
Co-owner Lance Gasaway acknowledged the horse was not at full strength for the Rebel. "We knew he wouldn't be 100 percent," Gasaway said. "We thought, maybe, 85, 90 percent. He should have gotten a lot out of that. He drank a lot of water afterwards. Hey, regroup, right? We've just got to regroup and go again."
Following the race, Blackout Time will stay at Oaklawn to train for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby on March 28. He spent the winter at Fair Grounds but has now returned to the Hot Springs, Arkansas venue. The colt has reunited with retired jockey Robby Albarado, a two-time Oaklawn riding champion, who worked with him last fall in Kentucky. "He'll be here the whole time," Gasaway said of Albarado. "He will breeze him, he will gallop him, he will be on him every day."
Trainer Kenny McPeek, who conditions Blackout Time, aims for his first Arkansas Derby success. Last year, he placed third in the race with Mystik Dan, another horse owned by Gasaway, which later won the Kentucky Derby.
The Arkansas Derby distributes 200 points to its top five finishers—100 to the winner, followed by 50, 25, 15, and 10—for Kentucky Derby eligibility. Blackout Time currently holds 15 points, placing him 26th on the Churchill Downs leaderboard. The Kentucky Derby fields 20 horses, with the top 17 point-earners assured spots, and three additional invitations possible from international paths.
Separately, Soldier N Diplomat, who finished fifth in the Rebel after racing wide, has no immediate plans announced. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen noted, "Came out of it good. He's been back to the track and undecided on what he'll do next." The horse earned 18 points and ranks 23rd on the leaderboard.
