By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

The $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), Oaklawn, Race 10, 5:57 p.m. ET

(2) Corona Bolt brings a perfect record to the Southwest for Brad Cox who has a barn full of serious Kentucky Derby contenders that have already won four of the official Derby points races. Corona Bolt is a son of Bolt d’Oro, the outstanding first crop sire of 2022. He broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in November and then took the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds by more than five lengths making a considerable jump in speed figures. He should handle the added distance as a son of Bolt d’Oro and a mare that also produced a stakes winner that raced long on the grass. At 6-1 in the morning line he comes with excellent value. (6) Arabian Knight is one of those budding Bob Baffert stars that was a speedy debut winner of his only start to date as the odds-on favorite. He sold for $2.5 million as a 2-year-old at Ocala in April. He is currently the favorite in the Kentucky Derby futures in Las Vegas and is listed as the 1-1 morning line favorite in the Southwest. (3) Jace’s Road is one of those Brad Cox runners with a Derby prep victory already in the Gunner Stakes at Fair Grounds in December with a front-end effort and that makes him 4-1. (8) Hit Show is yet another contender from the Cox barn and he is 10-1 in the morning line. Favored in all three of his starts he romped to a more than five-length victory in his debut at Keeneland, was fourth in a Churchill allowance and then returned to the winner’s circle in an Oaklawn allowance going a mile.

Betting strategy: 2 to win. Exacta box: 2-6. Trifecta box: 2-3-6-8.