Four Triple Crown preps are on the Saturday slate and Oaklawn’s Southwest boasts the richest purse of the quartet. Santa Anita’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Gulfstream’s Holy Bull and Aqueduct’s Withers also will test prospects with hopes of the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Let’s meet the contenders for the Southwest Stakes (Race 11):

#1-MAYCOCKS BAY: Morning line favorite off of his 10-3/4 length Fair Grounds allowance victory that was assigned a field-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure. Inconsistent son of Speightstown had been out of the money in two straight prior for trainer Mike Stidham. Expect him to be among the early leaders.

#2-CHARLESTON: Blinkers off this four-race maiden who will be the longest shot on the toteboard. Half of his losses came in the maiden claiming ranks, so this would be a stunner.

#3-MAGIC GRANT: Remington Park’s Clever Trevor Stakes winner at 23-1 also outran his odds in the $300,000 Springboard Mile when third at 13-1. He has to make up 2 lengths on Southwest return rival Otto the Conqueror. Sire Good Magic was responsible for last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

#4-OTTO THE CONQUEROR: A length shy of perfection through 4 starts, his 3-race winning streak includes the $300,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park. Trainer Steve Asmussen is a three-time Southwest winner, most recently in 2020. Son of 2007 Kentucky Derby and Travers winner Street Sense.

#5-WYNSTOCK: Trainer Bob Baffert seeks a third straight Southwest victory and a record-padding seventh overall. Wynstock exits a victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity, a track owned by the colt’s co-owner Dr. Ed Allred. This $700,000 purchase is by sire Solomini, runner-up in the 2018 Rebel and third in that year’s Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.

#6-LIBERAL ARTS: Late-running winner of Churchill Downs’ Street Sense Stakes in October, the son of champion Arrogate has not missed a trifecta in 5 starts. Cristian Torres has been his pilot in both career wins, and he’s Oaklawn’s leading jockey in 2023 and at the current meeting. Trainer Robbie Medina, longtime assistant to Shug McGaughey, looks for his first Triple Crown trail player as the man in charge.

#7-CARBONE: Romping, wire-to-wire winner of both career starts, this promising colt makes his stakes debut Saturday. Win margins of 8 and 4 lengths, both sprinting and routing, give an indication he could be special. Trainer Steve Asmussen is a three-time Southwest winner, most recently in 2020. Sire Mitole, a champion sprinter, won the Count Fleet and Gazebo Stakes at Oaklawn.

#8-COMMON DEFENSE: Local mile maiden winner January 13 in his second start, he’s one of two Kenny McPeek trainees in the Southwest. Son of Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Karakontie traces to a very strong female dirt family. Jockey Cristian Torres jumps to ride Liberal Arts, leaving the mount to longtime McPeek cohort Julien Leparoux.

#9-LINEBACKER: Blinkers on this three-race maiden who was runner-up as the 6-5 favorite over this trip on Dec. 31 at Oaklawn. Bolt d’Oro colt hasn’t run a bad one yet, but hasn’t seen even a photo finish yet nor this kind of competition. Blinkers may put him a bit closer to the pace than previous races for Jordan Blair.

#10-MYSTIK DAN: More seasoned of the Kenny McPeek pair entered in the Southwest, he finished a tiring fifth in the Smarty Jones Stakes after dueling for the front. Lone win for this son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldecents came over 5-1/2 furlongs, so this distance and post will provide a challenge for his running style.

#11-JUST STEEL: Smarty Jones Stakes runner-up showed he could be competitive over a two-turn trip as his pedigree would suggest. Son of Triple Crown winner Justify sprinted in 6 of 7 starts as a juvenile in a busy campaign that saw him win Churchill’s Ed Brown Stakes. D. Wayne Lukas’ Southwest victory came in 1992 with Big Sur. Tough draw for his running style, so he’ll have to be clearly best to win this, or work out remarkable trip under capable Ramon Vazquez.

#12-AWESOME ROAD: Trainer Brad Cox won this race in 2021 with Essential Quality, the reigning champion 2-year-old and eventual Belmont Stakes winner and champion 3-year-old. This $600,000 son of Quality Road comes in far less credentialed, beaten 29 lengths combined in his two route stakes bids as a juvenile. Late-running style means he’ll likely drop far back early to avoid ground loss from this post. Cross-entered in Friday’s Leonatus Stakes at Turfway, but expected to run here.