Sat Feb 16 20:54:25 2008

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Southwest Stakes draws 11-horse field

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Hot Springs, AR (Sports Network) - The road to the Kentucky Derby from Oaklawn Park begins in earnest on Monday with the running of the $250,000 Southwest Stakes. The one-mile dirt race has attracted 11 three-year-olds.

Liberty Bull will attempt to continue his winning ways at Oaklawn after capturing the Smarty Jones Stakes last month. The colt won the race, named after the winner of the 2004 Arkansas and Kentucky Derbies, by a neck over Isabull.

Owned by Kenneth Maier, Liberty Bull will start from post three with Eddie Razo in the saddle. Liberty Bull, trained by Tom Amoss, was second in the Sugar Bowl Stakes in December and has won two of four starts for $84,842.

Smarty Jones runner-up Isabull has drawn post seven for the Southwest and will be ridden by Tim Doocy. Doocy also had the mount on Isabull last month for trainer Steve Hobby.

Owned by Alex and Joann Lieblong, Isabull has earned $28,480 with one win in five starts.

Getting a lot of notice coming into the race is Woodford Racing's Turf War. The colt will be making his 2008 debut after a dead heat for win with Z Humor in the Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs.

Trained by Mark Casse, Turf War has earned $518,548 with three wins in five starts. Last year at Woodbine he won the Swynford Stakes and was sixth as the favorite in the Grey Breeders' Cup.

"He likes to come from behind so I just hope he gets some pace up top," said Casse.

Turf War will break from post five with Calvin Borel, the winning jockey of last year's Kentucky Derby, riding.

Here is the complete field for the Southwest in post position order: Silver Edition, Joe Bravo; He's Eze, Luis Quinonez; Liberty Bull, Eddie Razo; Sacred Journey, Julien Leparoux; Turf War, Calvin Borel; Sierra Sunset, Chris Emigh; Isabull, Tim Doocy; Denis of Cork, Robby Albarado; Gangbuster, Kirk LeBlanc; Riley Tucker, Kent Desormeaux and Royal Hudson, Richard Hamel.

Post-time for the President's Day feature is 6:02 p.m. (et).