Keepmeinmind will launch his 3-year-old season in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn, according to trainer Robertino Diodoro. 

The horse is entered in the Risen Star on Saturday at Fair Grounds. 

Keepmeinmind has been working regularly at his base of Oaklawn. Diodoro said the weather disparity between Hot Springs, Ark., and New Orleans was a key factor in the decision to await the Southwest.

“I think one of the biggest things that scares me is shipping out of this cold of weather to 60 degrees plus and getting a horse sick,” Diodoro said. “The big thing is the horse comes first. Just like humans transferring hot to cold or cold to hot, there’s always a chance of getting sick. We don’t want to take that chance.”