The Factor thrust himself front and centre into the reckoning for the Kentucky Derby with an all-the-way victory in the G2 Rebel Stakes (1700m) at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.

The Factor (3c War Front – Greyciousness by Miswaki) is trained by Bob Baffert and drew off to score by six lengths.  He went into the Arkansas feature on the back of a G2 victory in the San Vincente Stakes.

“I thought he might win like that because he’s doing that well,” Baffert said.  “As long as The Factor stays healthy, the sky’s the limit.”

The once-beaten colt will now head to either the Santa Anita Derby on April 9 or the Arkansas Derby on April 16.  “I’ll let him tell me where he wants to go,” Baffert said.  “I have a lot of options with him.  He’s nominated everywhere.”

The Factor is by War Front (Danzig) who stands at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky for a $10,000 fee.  He was a G2 winner of the Vanderbilt Hcp at Saratoga and was runner-up to Henny Hughes in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont.

War Front is also the sire of fellow Kentucky Derby candidate Soldat who is a last start winner of the G2 Fountain Of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.