Rick Lee’s Oaklawn Park selections and analysis

FIRST POST — 1:30 P.M.

1

Purse $26,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden claiming $25,000

***SASSY OLIVIA ANN has not raced since April, but she was a troubled third in an unusually talented maiden field, when making her career debut last March at Oaklawn. She appears to be training well for her return. SKYLAR’S KISS has a series of encouraging workouts leading up to her career debut, and trainer Al Cates saddled a debut winner earlier in the meeting. MISS D IRISH raced evenly in a fifth-place debut at Churchill, but she is dropping into state-bred company and horses often show marked improvement in a second race.

2

Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races, claiming $8,000

**DIXIE KICKS faltered inside the final furlong after contesting the pace in an allowance sprint at Turfway, and she was beaten only a neck at a higher claiming price just three races back at Churchill. ROXY ROCKET is a tad inconsistent, but one of her better races can upset this field, and she does sport good works following a long vacation. SHOWREEL finished second as a posttime favorite at Delaware. She is dropping in price and picks up a hot rider.

3

Purse $25,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up which have never won three, claiming $16,000 ***DETROIT COWBOY is back in the care of high percentage trainer Brad Cox, who got plenty of run from this gelding last winter at Oaklawn, and he returns fresh and shows some fast workouts. BOLITAR has been onepaced at this level in California, but his Beyer figures are very competitive. He is adding blinkers for a top California stable. TENTWELVEFOURTEEN brings good form and competitive Beyer figures from Golden Gate, and he has been moved into the barn of a winning stable.

4

Purse $48,000, 1 mile, 3-year-olds, starter allowance

**SPINNING SERVE followed a pair of runner-up finishes with a determined maiden-sprint victory at Churchill. He is bred to improve at route distances, and his local 5-furlong breezes are very good. NUCLEAR OPTION was a decisive sprint winner at this level Oct. 29 at Churchill, and the speedy sprinter is the controlling speed for a red-hot barn. ETERNAL FORCE has finished well in recent sprint races, and he benefits from a race over the track. He has a two-turn pedigree.

5

Purse $42,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance

**PETE’S PLAY CALL recorded wins at Saratoga, Belmont and Santa Anita in 2017, and the front-runner ships from Aqueduct in good form. EL CHARRO won a fast $25,000 claiming sprint at Fair Grounds, which was his first start under the care of high-percentage trainer Brad Cox. W. B. SMUDGE is a multiple stake-winning veteran with earnings in excess of $550,000, and he typically fires when fresh.

6

Purse $75,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight **** NAPLES MIST was beaten less than a length in a useful turf-sprint tune-up at Fair Grounds, and the lightly raced filly has proven ability on dirt and seems to hold a talent advantage. AREA is an unraced filly with good workouts dating back to October. She has a win-early pedigree and winning connections. MOONLIT GARDEN earned the field’s fastest last-race Beyer figure in a twoturn second-place finish in New Orleans, and she figures to be rolling late in her first try at a sprint distance.

7

Purse $44,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $40,000

**SHARP ART has been consistently good in seven career races at Oaklawn, and he is taking a drop in class following sharp efforts at Fair Grounds and Churchill. WHILE YE MAY finished third in a fast optional-claimer at Turfway, and he was flattered when the winner came back to score an emphatic stake victory. KING OF ANYTHING ran races last season in New York that make him competitive. He was claimed by a sharp stable and his works in South Louisiana are encouraging.

8

Purse $77,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming ***OUR MAJESTY was a clear winner of her first three races, including the Purple Mountain at Oaklawn. She appears to be working very well since finishing second as the post-time favorite in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness last May at Pimlico. STEALTH DRONE had blinkers removed Oct. 29 and has responded with consecutive victories in Southern California. She was claimed by trainer Doug O’Neill, who is having an excellent meeting. DONITA’S RULER is a 13-race winner who was stakeplaced this fall at Remington, and she has strong regional connections.

9

Purse $28,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $30,000

***DESERT DOMINATION has finished in the money in three-of-four dirt races on the tough Southern California circuit, and the speedy gelding recorded a swift breeze in his only local work. BEAT THE HEAT earned the field’s fastest Beyer figure when third best in a restricted stake at Turf Paradise, and he has moved into a winning stable. OMEGA made a gradual gain in his career debut at Remington, and he is dropping into the maiden-claiming ranks for the first time. Horses trained by Donnie Von Hemel often show marked improvement in a second race.