The Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park is an important stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. Last year’s runaway winner, Mystik Dan, went on to claim victory in the 2024 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

The 2025 Southwest this Saturday boasts for the first time a $1 million purse, up from $800,000 last year. With a rich purse and the 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualification points available to the top five finishers, the Southwest attracted a top-notch, 10-horse field.

Leading the charge from an accomplishments perspective is #1 Gaming, a talented colt from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Southwest half a dozen times since 2010. Gaming enjoyed a productive 2-year-old campaign, winning his first two starts sprinting (including the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity) before finishing second in the 1 1/16-mile FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, beaten by 1 1/2 lengths by stablemate Citizen Bull.

Gaming ended 2024 on a down note, fading to finish third by 6 1/2 lengths as the heavy favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. Can Gaming bounce back in his 3-year-old debut in the Southwest? It’s certainly possible, but Gaming is 2-for-2 in sprints and 0-for-2 racing 1 1/16 miles and the Southwest distance might be a little longer than Gaming wants to run.

Bettors can try to beat Gaming with #7 Patch Adams, a son of six-time leading North American sire Into Mischief who looks like a rising star for two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Patch Adams debuted in a maiden special weight sprint at six furlongs at Keeneland, where he set the pace before tiring slightly to finish third by 1 1/2 lengths. He then improved dramatically in his second start, which came in another maiden race going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs.

Patch Adams. (Eclipse Sportswire)

If anything, “improved dramatically” understates the power of Patch Adams’s second start. After pressing quick pace fractions, Patch Adams took over and drew clear to win easily by 10 1/2 lengths. He reached the finish line in a blazing 1:20.77, only 0.33 off a 12-year-old track record set by two-time Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Groupie Doll.

Patch Adams has been training well ever since. He enters the Southwest off a trio of fast five-furlong workouts at Payson Park, completing the most recent of those in 1:00.20, an excellent time on Payson’s slow surface.

Drawing post position seven affords Patch Adams plenty of options for working out a favorable trip in the Southwest. If he gets a clean journey and matches or improves upon the performance from his maiden win, Patch Adams can take home first prize in the Southwest.

We recommend that bettors play Patch Adams on top of exotic wagers like the exacta (select the top two finishers in order) and trifecta (select the top three finishers in order).

Gaming. (Richard Steele/Eclipse Sportswire)

Gaming is a logical contender to finish either second or third. The other horse we’ll include on our tickets is #6 Sandman, the rallying third-place finisher from the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs last fall. Purchased for $1.2 million as a 2-year-old in training, Sandman ended his juvenile season with a fast-finishing win in a $125,000 allowance-optional claiming race going one mile at Oaklawn in his best performance to date. According to the Equibase GPS result chart, Sandman ran his final eighth of a mile in a fast :11.98 to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Sandman is progressing in the right direction and has a strong chance to finish in the Southwest top three. He may even edge Gaming for runner-up honors, so we’ll bet accordingly.

Wagering Strategy on a $10 Budget

$6 exacta: 7 with 1

What to say at the betting window: Oaklawn Park, 10th race, $6 exacta: 7 with 1

$4 exacta: 7 with 6

What to say at the betting window: Oaklawn Park, 10th race, $4 exacta: 7 with 6

Wagering Strategy on a $30 Budget

$13 exacta: 7 with 1

What to say at the betting window: Oaklawn Park, 10th race, $13 exacta: 7 with 1

$9 exacta: 7 with 6

What to say at the betting window: Oaklawn Park, 10th race, $9 exacta: 7 with 6

$5 trifecta: 7 with 1 with 6

What to say at the betting window: Oaklawn Park, 10th race, $5 trifecta: 7 with 1 with 6

$3 trifecta: 7 with 6 with 1

What to say at the betting window: Oaklawn Park, 10th race, $3 trifecta: 7 with 6 with 1

Good luck, and enjoy the race!