SONNETEER......RUN FOR THE ROSES

Calumet Farm's homebred Sonneteer made his 9th start in the Rebel as a maiden, missing by only 2 lengths as the 112-1 longest shot in the field. The son of champion sprinter Midnight Lute   got shuffled back at the start and raced wide, but jockey Richard Eramia moved him to the inside for the stretch run and he made a huge rally up the rail to gain runner-up status.

"We are definitely proud of our horse and the way he ran," Julie Clark, trainer Keith Desormeaux's assistant, said. "I was talking with Rich and he said he's still a little green. He's still a maiden but he said he did everything right. When Rich asked him to do something, he followed through. He felt like he had a lot of horse under him.

"He (Sonneteer) was a little hesitant down on the rail, but he kept pushing through, and when the horse came to him about a sixteenth (of a mile) out, he pushed on. This was a big step forward for him, a giant step."

If all remains on schedule, Sonneteer and Malagacy will get their rematch in the Arkansas Derby (G1) April 15.

"There's a good chance he'll be back for the Arkansas Derby," Clark said. "He ships really well, and obviously, the surface here agrees with him."