The Hot Springs and Honeybee highlight the card for Oaklawn Saturday. Enjoy race day at Oaklawn, and as always, let’s box them 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) 4-6-3
20K claimers start the Saturday card and has been the case, in the claiming races, let’s start the day with Diodoro. Takes the class drop and should enjoy the softer spot here. #6, Rocky’s Warrior, for Cox, is the speed of the race and gets the aggressive Garcia in the saddle. I look for the recent Villafranco, claim, to round out the top picks in the first race.
Race 2) 1A-2-5
Going back to the same connections, as the 1A, didn’t pick up a step as the post time favorite, first off, the bench for Robertson. Diodoro sees fit, with M & M racing to claim this one and go to rider Cohen hops aboard. Toss the last race as this one may not have preferred the off going and its not rocket science in terms the first claim angle for the barn. Elitch, claimed by Asmussen, who also is listed as the owner, will come from the clouds, but certainly has numbers here to be competitive in this spot. Lastly, let’s round out the trifecta with #4, Dapper Jack.
Race 3) 3-5-7
#3, Executive Branch, off the claim by the Mason barn, looks to step up in class here. Has been bet hard in the last two races and is lightly raced, so there should be room for improvement, especially coming off and extended layoff to win first off, the freshening. Second choice, should love the stretch out for Sadler and Hronis, certainly strong connections. Will be much tighter, as well, in the second start of the meet for this one. Third choice, for Moquett, is another that is running second off the layoff. Not exactly a win machine, but a nice fit under the top two choices.
Race 4) 7-5-8
Let’s attack this maiden special weight race with a second start colt from the Asmussen barn. Exits a race where the show horse has already come back to win. Had a nice speed fig in unveiling and only should improve off that. The #5 has nice breeding as Uncle Mo can throw firsters. Cox has them ready to go at first asking. Monitor the tote with this one. Smack Attack round out the trio. The #6 can certainly improve as well, if spreading. The #3 has burned money and I’ll let that one beat me.
Race 5) 4-7-6
Slight class drop, off slow and catching a muddy track, Diodoro, second off the layoff, lots to like as One for Richie will have every chance to make amends after the last out. Outside of my top choice, I’m there are many ways you can go. The #5 and #7 have speed, but own the best speed figs, over the local oval, with moisture in the track. I honestly don’t have any idea what to do with them off their respective maiden wins last out. The #6 is 3/1 on the morning line, but doesn’t exactly strike fear in any of these runners either. I’m not going to be surprised at the winner of this race.
Race 6) 11-4-6-9
Taking the four-year old’s in the top two slots in the state bred 50K maiden race. Top selection, #11, My Golden Diablo, finished second to a decent horse in his debut, Heritage Park, who recently won last out. Talamo sees fit to retain the mount; while also taking the class hike and goes out at first asking off the barn switch to Stall Jr. Quinonez really moved this one up, last out, at a big price and is another 4-year-old versus younger in the race. #6, Tempt Fate, also exits the same race, as the top pick and adds the hood, off the claim, here for the Deville barn.
Race 7) 3-2-1
All three choices, here in the 7th, come out of the same race, last out. Should be a match race between the top two choices. The pace would have to completely fall apart or something that I simply don’t see, on paper, for any others to come out on top. Pretty straight forward race to me.
Race 8) 3-4-6
Whitmore and Share the Upside threw down in the Hot Springs last year and I see the same in this year’s edition. There is plenty of inside speed and Share the Upside isn’t exactly slow out of the gate. I see Share the Upside just sitting off the speed, while Whitmore sits mid pack. I simply couldn’t separate the top two, but went with Whitmore with his class. This should be a throwdown at the wire!
Race 9) 5-1-2-3-4-6
This is a spread race in the late pick four. There are many fillies, in this Kentucky Oaks prep, that can win here. Shippers from Tampa Bay and the Fairgrounds, along with some locally based fillies, slug it out in this evenly matched field. I settled on Alta’s Award, on top, but Motu, the McPeek filly is hard to ignore as well. If #4 gets cozy on the front end she could take them on a merry go round race. The Wilkes filly, exits the same race as the #1, will improve second off the layoff as well. Many ways to go here. I find it interesting that McPeek enters the maiden winner here. Shows a sign of confidence in that one as well.
Race 10) 5-1-8-11
If you are alive in this last leg of the late multi’s, good luck, because this race gave me an absolute headache. This is a bad field, with horses evenly matched and quite a few that simply don’t want to win, hence the bottom level claiming race we have here.