Preparations for Reckless Jerry, Cyber Secret and Big Wednesday continue toward the Feb. 20 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Connections of the filly On Fire Baby say they're still undecided about her next move.

After a less-than-perfect trip in the Smarty Jones Stakes last month, his trainer says at least morning workouts have gone exactly to plan for Reckless Jerry as he prepares to avenge his close loss in the Grade III Southwest.

Trainer Kenny Smith sent the Dream Walkin’ Farms’ colt five furlongs Sunday morning in 1:02.40 in a drill that hit all the assigned marks.

“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 work out.”

The son of Cactus Ridge 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 Smarty Jones, coming a neck short of catching Junebugred.

“I don’t like to put a whole lot of flash into works with a horse like this,” Smith 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.

Cyber Secret

After only a few days following his breakout performance, the connections of Cyber Secret are ‘strongly considering’ wheeling back in the Southwest.

Owned by Oaklawn president Charles Cella, the 3-year-old son of Broken Vow came out of his strong allowance victory Saturday in good order, according to trainer Lynn Whiting.

“With such a particularly strong program of 3-year-old races, it feels like he proved he deserves that shot,” said Whiting today. “There won’t be too many other opportunities if we don’t get involved now.”

For Whiting, this year marks the 20th anniversary of Lil E. Tee’s Kentucky Derby victory. Much has changed in the way top 3-year-olds are trained and campaigned since he guided Cal Partee’s star to the roses with Pat Day. He sees the quick 16-day turnaround from his 5 1/4-length wire-to-wire score as a test of old-school methods while knowing it will be an important test for the colt.

“He’s still a young horse with something to prove,” said Whiting. “Times have changed, but sometimes with these Derby horses, guys tend to overdo it a bit. We only had two weeks between the Arkansas Derby and the Kentucky Derby with Lil E. Tee, and I worked him a half-mile a couple days before the race. Even then, I could have just let him gallop up to it. We tend to overtrain now.”

Whiting reiterated that Cyber Secret still has questions to answer.

“He still has a lot to prove before we get too pumped up,” he said. “He ran big the other day, but it’s on him now to move forward while being a young horse that’s still learning the game. As a friend of mine once said ‘he can’t call his momma. He’s got to do it himself.’”

Big Wednesday

Big Wednesday has not-so-quietly been working his way into the Southwest Stakes picture with his latest drill coming today from the starting gate.

The stakes-winning son of Repent went a handy six furlongs in 1:13.60, breaking along with three other horses.

“We had to back off him a little when he first got down here,” said assistant trainer and co-owner Bill Martin. “This work today showed us that he is ready to step back up to a stakes.”

Off since winning the Fitz Dixon Memorial Juvenile at Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania in October, Big Wednesday is three-for-four in his career. All three of his wins have come on the Tapeta artificial surface, but trainer Joe Martin and brother Bill have been eager to join the crowded scene of 3-year-olds.

“He has just loved it here since we got him going,” said Joe Martin. “He is really, really good right now.”

On Fire Baby

The braintrust behind stakes star On Fire Baby are taking a few more days to decide where to send their prized 3-year-old filly in her next start after another blistering workout Monday morning at Oaklawn.

“She’s really good right now,” said Gary ‘Red Dog’ Hartlage today. The daughter of Smoke Glacken fired a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 – a full second faster than the next worker that morning of the 23 at that distance. “She might have worked just a little faster than we expected, but she did it so easily, it all turns out good.”

On Fire Baby won the Grade II Pocahontas and the Grade II Golden Rod Stakes to close her 2-year-old season in Kentucky. She was an unlucky third against males in the Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 16. She was among six fillies nominated to the Triple Crown, and all options remain open for her next start, including the Southwest.

“Anita (owner Cauley) was here for the workout, and now she’s gone home to think about it,” said Hartlage. “We will talk about it and come up something. The key is choosing the right road to get her going again and get her to where she deserves to be.”

--Edited Oaklawn Park release