Happy Friday at Oaklawn! Not a great card, but a nice primer to get the weekend started. Enjoy the race day at Oaklawn, and as always, let’s box a few and bet them!
I always love talking horses and handicapping. If I see anything during the race day follow me on Twitter @ BoxEmandBetEm and I’ll add up to minute info at Oaklawn Park.
Good luck and good racing!
Race 1) 3-2-6
Not a lot of speed signed on for this bottom level claimer. #3, Never Sober, comes in off the freshening and should be dead fit. Inside speed, get this one out of the gate Mojica! Second choice, As Fast as You can, #2, cuts back and should just off the pace to the inside. Cut back angle hits at 21% for a white hot Diodoro barn. Round out the top three with another layoff horse from the McKnight barn.
Race 2) 11-7-8
State-bred MSW race, for three- and four-year old’s and upward. Not a fan of the three-year old’s as pointed out many times this time of the year versus elders. #11, Mary Alice, comes into this race, second off the layoff and ships in from Laurel. Ran against non-state breds in first three races, should find the company easier here. #7, Lil Tater, has some tactical speed and has some decent races, but looks like this one could be a career maiden. #8, The Mary Rose, rounds out the top choices. Note, if AE, #13, draws in; is a must use. Pish can have them ready to roll first out.
Race 3) 2-1-6
Top choice should find enough pace to close into and will dead fit be coming from the poly; along with a few maintenance works at Oaklawn. Good rider, Cohen, should have no excuse from an inside post. #1, Futile, takes a drop, in class, off the last out victory and owns some wins over the oval and likes the distance as well. #6, He’s No Bull, has speed and ships in from the Fair Grounds. Garcia will have this one up close early, caught slop last out.
Race 4) 1-3-4
Bottom level maiden race and this is a field where many have issues and are just bad horses. Campaign Spy, #1, is top choice as the hope here is the Catman has this one ready while dropping to the bottom. Has some speed and is lightly raced and I actually like the rider switch here. Go for Jim, #3, should be the speed of the speed and comes in off the barn switch, which doesn’t exactly beckon confidence. The Cox entrant, #4, looks to be a classic dump job to me. Note of the AE’s #13 and/or #14 draw in move them to the top as they simply look better on paper than some aforementioned.
Race 5) 3-7-4
This race simply gave me a headache. Lots of class droppers here and trying to figure out the intent, of the class droppers, is the key to cashing here. Landed on the top choice here as this one goes from tur to dirt and has nice figs on the dirt. Is fresh and has speed. Beemie Award, #7, is protected, off the claim, and owns a win over the Oaklawn dirt. Tactical sort that should acquit himself well in this spot. Broberg, trains the #4, drops this one 10K from the purchase price he was claimed at. Not something I like seeing, but Broberg is solid off the claim and does own this one as well. I won’t be shocked in the least if this one wins; I’m simply tying to find alternatives in a race that could get chaotic.
Race 6) 8-5-3
Unless one of the firsters are ready to roll and I don’t like the missed work with the other Amussen, #4, this looks like a two-horse race on paper. Santana lands on the top choice, off the barn change and looks ready to roll. McKnight claimed the second choice and immediately jail moves this one to MSW ranks. #3, for the Catman, has some decent works and attracts Talamo.
Race 7) 10-1-9
A few in here that are facing winners for the first time and coming off layoffs, so it adds a bit of intrigue to this race. This is a tricky race and I honestly don’t have a great feel at all. The Cox entrant, #8, has gaps in his works coming into this tilt, but looks very good on paper. McKnight is shipping in, from Woodbine obviously, with a jail move. The Asmussen horse, on the rail, has caught two off tracks and simply may not have cared for them in either try. I ultimately settled on the jail move horse #10. I’m going to try and beat the Cox horse as there are too many red flags for me. This is a spread race for me.
Race 8) 4-3-5
#4, Aw Emma, simply loves the Oaklawn oval and Court is back with the mount, which is a good sign as Court has two wins while riding the Stewart entry. I expect Court to hustle this one out and get a nice position up front. Was it the slop, the fig inflated or combo of both, but #3 What a Fox, deserves a look here, tepidly I settled as my second choice. Let’s round out the trifecta with Maybe Wicked.
Race 9) 2-6-1
Note the 4,6 and 9 all scratched out of the sixth race, Thursday, and landed here. That provides us a few clues, but I’m landing off the Asmussen claim #2, Aggressivity. Note, Asmussen is also the new owner and wheels him back quickly. Second choice, Executive Branch, goes off the barn switch to Diodoro and we all know he can move horses up off the switch. He’s given this one plenty of time and drops out of the MSW ranks to land here. Note this one has had two eventful trips, go to rider takes the irons. Rounding out the top three, Sharp appears to have this one ready to roll off the freshening while being gelded and adding the hood.