Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's two projected starters for the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds had their final workouts for the March 1 race on a chilly Feb. 20 morning at Oaklawn Park.
Strategic Risk, under Kylee Jordan, breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00 just after the track opened for training. Following a surface renovation break roughly two hours later, Silent Tactic covered a half-mile in :47 2/5 under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres. The track was fast.
Strategic Risk and Silent Tactic, both stakes winners at the meeting, are among at least eight horses scheduled to be entered for the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, Oaklawn's third Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying race.
Casse is bidding for his fourth consecutive victory in a Kentucky Derby qualifying race at Oaklawn after capturing last season's $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) with Sandman and the first two legs in 2026.
Strategic Risk and Silent Tactic ran 1-2, respectively, in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3. Silent Tactic passed nine horses in the final three-sixteenths of a mile en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6. Both races were 1 1/16 miles.
Silent Tactic was working for the first time since the Southwest. Clockers caught the son of Tacitus covering his opening quarter-mile in :23 4/5 and galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:00 1/5 and 6 furlongs in 1:14 1/5.
"This is probably the best work I've seen from him," said assistant trainer Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse's Oaklawn division. "Normally, he's not really the best work horse. He had a good work going into the Southwest, but I thought this work was a lot better for him. Did it all easy. Torres was standing straight up on him, not asking him at all. (Silent Tactic) came back to the barn barely breathing, like it didn't take much out of him."
Strategic Risk is looking to bounce back from a 10th-place finish in the Southwest. He was beaten 18 1/2 lengths after faltering late. Casse said following the race that Strategic Risk's performance may have been impacted by a winter storm late last month that led Oaklawn to close the track for training for nine consecutive days from Jan. 24-Feb. 1 and delayed the Southwest six days.
Arthur said Friday's work was designed to be more taxing than Strategic Risk's final breeze for the Southwest. Strategic Risk went :36 1/5 for his opening 3 furlongs and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:12 4/5.
"Going into the Southwest, we put a little easier work into him," Arthur said. "Maybe that wasn't best for him, and then missing all the training. Hopefully, he's back to that Smarty form, that Florida form."
Casse also worked multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Counting Stars Friday morning in advance of a scheduled start in the $750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies March 1.
Under Francisco Arrieta, Counting Stars covered 5 furlongs in :59 2/5. The 1 1/16-mile Honeybee is Oaklawn's second Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying race.
Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Feb. 21 for the Rebel and Honeybee. Both races will both offer 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the May 2 Kentucky Derby and May 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
The Honeybee has a record purse in 2026, up from $500,000.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
