After a less-than-perfect trip in the Smarty Jones Stakes last month, Reckless Jerry looks as if he’s on track to rebound in the $250,000 Southwest Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 20 at Oaklawn Park.
Trainer Kenny Smith sent the Cactus Ridge colt five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 Feb. 5 in an easy drill. Reckless is owned by country music star Toby Keith, who races his horses under the name Dream Walkin’ Farms.
“It was exactly what I asked for,” said Smith. “I wanted him to gallop out in 1:16 and he was right at that according to what I got. It was a nice maintenance workout.”
Reckless Jerry has been second in his two stakes races so far, losing the Springboard Mile at Remington Park in Oklahoma in December to Ted's Folly, then getting hampered by a wide draw and trip in the one-mile Jan. 16 Smarty Jones, coming a neck short of catching Junebugred. Smith has been eager for another swing and has been training his star 3-year-old accordingly.
“I don’t like to put a whole lot of flash into works with a horse like this,” he said. “You watch and I’m usually focused on farther rather than flashy. I just wanted to pump a little air into his lungs. We only need to do a little maintenance and then run him.”
Smith indicated Reckless Jerry would get one more easy breeze this weekend as a final tightening before the Presidents Day feature.
Overall, the colt is 2-2-2 from six starts. Both of the wins came at Remington.
