BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Tristar Farm’s Rebel With a Cause takes his two-race win streak to Churchill Downs Saturday for his stakes debut in the $225,000 William Walker Stakes for 3-year-olds at five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf. Trained by Lauren Robson, the Florida-bred gelding has post five in the field of eight.
A victory by Rebel With a Cause would also earn a $4,000 Export Incentive check paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for breeders Mr. and Mrs. David John Osterholt of Ocala.
In his only race as a 2-year-old, Rebel With a Cause had a difficult trip in a six-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight at Keeneland in October, finishing off the board.
But in his first race this year, he came back strong, winning a maiden $50,000 optional claiming by three-and-a-half lengths going five furlongs on the Gulfstream Park turf on February 13. Robson tried him on the Gulfstream synthetic next out and he responded with aplomb, winning a five-furlong, first condition allowance race by three lengths on March 9.
Rebel with a Cause is by Leinster out of Glenwood Pines, by Mizzen Mast and has earned $62,437 in his three starts.
He passed before the Ocala Breeders’ Sales auctioneers during the 2025 March Sale where he was consigned by Golden Woods Thoroughbreds but did not meet his reserve. Gayle Woods paid $10,000 for Rebel With a Cause at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale where he was consigned by Bobby Jones Equine.
Rebel With a Cause is 10-1 on the morning line and will have jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
Favored at 8-5 on the morning line is Outfielder, who in his only start this year took the $248,000 Animal Kingdom by four-and-a-half lengths going six furlongs on synthetic at Turfway Park on March 21.
Outfield has a victory over the Churchill Downs turf, having won a maiden special weight going five furlongs there in May of last year. He was then fourth in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville in France before returning stateside to win a six-furlong allowance race at Keeneland in October. In his last start as a 2-year-old, he was last of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in October.
Trainer Wesley Ward co-owns Outfielder with Kia Joorabchian’s AMO Racing USA and Jayson Werth of Bradenton, Florida.
The son of Speightstown was a $850,000 purchase by Ward at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale in August where he was consigned by Bedouin Bloodstock.
Outfield will be ridden from the outside post eight by John Velazquez.
Others entered are Reb Five with jockey Jose Ortiz, Throckmorton will have Brian Hernandez Jr. up, Ben Curtis will guide Twilight Delight, Sandal’s Song will have Irad Ortiz Jr. up, Jarreth Loveberry will take the reins on Ketchum and Luan Machado has the riding assignment on Walter the Mason.
Return to the May 6 issue of Wire to Wire
