Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mary Rampellini handicaps the Saturday, April 18 racing card at Oaklawn Park, including her projected 1-2-3 finishers. Her best bet of the day comes from Race 11, the Oaklawn Handicap.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Sovereignty (11th race)
Eleventh Race – Oaklawn Handicap
1. Sovereignty
2. Journalism
3. White Abarrio
SOVEREIGNTY returns to action in the Oaklawn Handicap and he won his seasonal debut last year in a campaign that earned him Horse of the Year honors. Highlights included wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers, over runners that included Magnitude – who has since won the Dubai World Cup – and Baeza, who went on to win the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. Further, JOURNALISM, the runner-up in the Kentucky Derby, came back to win the Preakness and also starts his 4-year-old season in the Oaklawn Handicap. SOVEREIGNTY might get an ideal stalking trip behind a few of these, in what will be his first start against older horses. JOURNALISM faced older horses last year in both the Pacific Classic in which he ran second to champion Fierceness and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, in which he ran a good fourth in a race won by eventual older dirt male champion Forever Young. JOURNALISM is seeking to become the third next-out winner to emerge from the Breeders’ Cup Classic, with Forever Young coming back to win the Saudi Cup and seventh-place finisher Nevada Beach winning the Grade 3 Native Diver at Del Mar with a Beyer of 96. WHITE ABARRIO is all class as a multiple Grade 1 winner who has earned $7.7M. More in the Closer Looks feature in Daily Racing Form.
See DRF’s preview of the Oaklawn Handicap with picks from David Aragona and Mike Beer.
Here are Mary’s thoughts on the other 11 races on Saturday’s Oaklawn Park card.
First Race
1. Helene’s Power
2. If If If
3. She’s Honed In
Sovereignty, the reigning Horse of the Year, meets Preakness winner Journalism and $7.7 million earner White Abarrio later on the card in an outstanding edition of the Oaklawn Handicap. In the opener, HELENE’S POWER is appealing as a runner who has been a consistent sort as a rule in starts that have come against maiden allowance foes. IF IF IF was favored in her debut last out at Churchill Downs. SHE’S HONED IN owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure. COMMAND THE STARS hooked a notable winner last out in Life of Joy.
Second Race
1. One Giant Leap
2. Khozy My Boy
3. Global Empire
ONE GIANT LEAP must overcome the wide post, but like that he has speed and that he was favored against steeper last time out. This marks the third start of his form cycle. KHOZY MY BOY is a winner at this mile distance this meet at Oaklawn. The race ends at the sixteenth pole, as with all local mile races. GLOBAL EMPIRE might be better suited if the track is fast this time around.
Third Race
1. Instamania
2. Whitley
3. Amore
INSTAMANIA is back in the maiden ranks after running a big second in the $150K Rainbow Stakes and for the effort he earned what ranks as this field’s best career Beyer Speed Figure. He’s from a mare who won eight races and earned $262K. WHITLEY is admirable for his consistent nature and he has an age edge on top choice as he is 4. AMORE was fourth to a next-out stakes winner last out in Seventies Music. This one has a fun name and looks like a runner working his way into the winner’s circle.
Embed from Getty ImagesFourth Race
1. Beauty Reigns
2. Untamed Moment
3. True Passion
BEAUTY REIGNS, who was Grade 1-placed last year in the Test, exits a big race off the bench. She hit traffic at a key point in the race, too, according to her trouble line. UNTAMED MOMENT cuts back to one turn after showing speed around two, and that can be a winning move with a horse. TRUE PASSION is from a Grade 2-winning mare who ran out $347K. This one has been flattered since her win last time, with the runner-up coming back to take a $30K starter allowance at OP and the fourth-place finisher, a $35K claimer at OP, with a Beyer of 60.
Fifth Race
1. Like a Diamond
2. A Vision of Hope
3. Royal B
LIKE A DIAMOND has been knocking on the door all meet and also has an age edge on some of these as she is 4. A VISION OF HOPE brings good racing experience to the table. ROYAL B is a logical choice back off a local runner-up finish last out at Oaklawn.
Sixth Race
1. Crupper
2. Honey’s to Blame
3. Western Warrior
Triple Crown nominee CRUPPER makes his stakes debut in the Bathhouse Row and brings a nice foundation of route races into the mile and an eighth stakes that carries a berth for the Preakness. This one has never finished worse than third in his two-turn starts – all at Oaklawn – and is from a Grade 3-winning mare who overall won eight stakes and earned $1.1 million. She also has produced a multiple stakes winner in She’s All Wolfe ($755K). CRUPPER might get an ideal stalking trip off a few of these. HONEY’S TO BLAME is back with straight 3-year-olds after he was just edged in a local allowance route for Arkansas-breds. He figures to appreciate the mile and an eighth trip as a son of Blame. WESTERN WARRIOR is looking to roll a perfect meet. He’s won all three of his starts this season and the wins have been by clear margins. WESTERN WARRIOR is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens ($998K). Triple Crown nominee KHON HAN has been flattered since his win last out, with the fourth-place finisher, Tallmar, coming back to take an N1X at Tampa with a Beyer of 69 and the sixth-place finisher, Mr. Mo’s Magic, another N1X at Tampa, with a Beyer of 72. ROYALAMERICAN ran a notable race in the Springboard Mile.
Seventh Race
1. Raging Current
2. Cold Case
3. Highlight Show
RAGING CURRENT showed excellent speed on the cutback from two turns to one last out. COLD CASE is a turnback prospect and for this trip she will add a set of blinkers in what is a high percentage equipment move for Williams, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form. HIGHLIGHT SHOW has proven a strong fit at this level.
Eighth Race
1. Pokerknightatvees
2. Invictus
3. Perfect Magic
POKERKNIGHTATVEES draws off the rail – after a series of starts from the fence – and the outside gate might give Torres options. INVICTUS is a stakes-placed runner from a Kentucky Oaks winner who overall earned $2.1 million. PERFECT MAGIC is multiple stakes-placed over the local strip and is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Do Share ($740K).
Ninth Race
1. Sticker Shock
2. Miss Call
3. Scot’s Law
STICKER SHOCK has natural speed in an asset that should serve her well in the Valley of the Vapors, a mile race that will end at the sixteenth pole. This one exits the Fantasy, with the winner and runner-up both set to run back in the Kentucky Oaks. MISS CALL was a sharp winner over seven-eighths last out at Kee and looking for her to be prominent on the move to two turns. SCOT’S LAW finished second to top choice in a local allowance and is bred to be a runner as a half-sister to Scottish Lassie, a multiple Grade 1 winner of $775K. HOLLY’S HOLIDAY is a half-sister to Velocity, a Grade 1 winner at 3. KNICKLEANDIME has excellent speed and is multiple stakes-placed at the meet, including a close third to the Kentucky Oaks-bound Search Party in the Martha Washington.
Tenth Race
1. Gold Sweep
2. See Through It
3. Otto the Conqueror
GOLD SWEEP is back in the overnight ranks off a Grade 3-placing last out in the Whitmore. This one has been holding his own against a talented sprinter in Tejano Twist. SEE THROUGH IT was favored against stakes rivals last out at Turf Paradise. The race went in a blazing time. OTTO THE CONQUEROR is proven class as a stakes winner and he owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure.
Twelfth Race
1. Seraphia
2. Kerry’s Kiss
3. Thestral
SERAPHIA has placed in five stakes or overnight stakes in her last five starts. The consistent sort is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Tenfold ($1.2M). KERRY’S KISS is a stakes-placed runner who hooked a quality kind of winner last out. THESTRAL must overcome the wide post, but has speed in an asset that could help her secure position into the first turn.
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