Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) victor and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) third-place finisher Strong Mandate, who is among the 413 early nominations for this year's Triple Crown series, is preparing to start his year in Oaklawn's $300,000 Southwest Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 17.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas was pleased with Strong Mandate's bullet :48 3/5 on a sloppy track for a half-mile with stablemate Will Take Charge on February 2, 2014.
See what Steve Haskin has to say about the colt's progress.
