Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rick Lee’s Oaklawn Park selections and analysis

FIRST POST — 1 P.M.

-

FRIDAY’S RESULTS 3-9 (33.3 percent) MEET 57-180 (31.7 percent) LEE’S LOCK Desert Thief in the seventh BEST BET Dupree in the sixth

LONG SHOT Rio Norte in the first *educated guess

**things to like

***plenty to like

**** confident choice

1 Purse $37,000, 6 furlongs, 3- and 4-year-olds, starter allowance **RIO NORTE has not raced since May, but he fired fresh in a career debut victory last April and appears to be working smartly and picks up Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens. SOUL P SAY wore blinkers for the first time and responded with a vastly improved second-place finish, and he recorded a swift subsequent breeze. ZAEVION trounced $40,000 maiden-claimers in his local debut, and he should avoid traffic from his outside post.

2 Purse $21,000, 6 furlongs, 3-yearolds and up, maiden claiming $12,500

***OLIVIA’S UNCLE has shown speed in maiden-allowance races in a four-race career, and the Steve Asmussen trainee is taking a significan­t drop in class and figures difficult to catch. VALLIER pressed the early pace in a fifth-place finish against better, and he is lightly raced and eligible to show more at this bottom maiden classifica­tion. FREE MUSIC tired in the stretch in his return from an 11-month vacation, and he also has speed and represents winning connection­s.

3 Purse $27,000, 1 mile, 3-yearolds and up which have never won three races, claiming $20,000 **MINEFIELD set a strong pace before tiring in the stretch against stronger $30,000 rivals, and he figures fit with a race over the track and picks up five-time leading rider Ricardo Santana. RINGS OF

JUPITER finished with energy in a second-place

finish, and the beaten odds-on favorite appears to have landed in a field with plenty of early speed types. KAHRAMANI scored a clear front-running conditione­d-claiming victory at Keeneland, and he is back at a preferred distance after a fifth-place finish going 9 furlongs at Churchill.

4 Purse $30,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $16,000 **LUVINMEISE­ASY is dropping to the lowest price of his career for a winning stable, and his Beyer figures are competitiv­e, and he will also benefit from a wet track. IMPERATORE is wheeled back in another $16,000 claiming race following a sharp front-running victory, and the eight-time winner is a picture of consistenc­y. SUPREME COMMANDER rallied to finish two lengths behind the second selection, and he drew an advantageo­us post and drops seven pounds with a switch to an apprentice rider.

5 Purse $23,000, 6 furlongs, 3-yearolds, maiden claiming $20,000

**KOMRAD was caught wide contesting a brisk early pace in a seventh-place return to the races, and he is dropping into the maiden-claiming ranks for the first time and keeps top rider David Cabrera. MIDNIGHT LAS VEGAS has shown good early speed in two solid races at Aqueduct, and his connection­s spot horses where they can win. BEAT THE HEAT has earned the field’s fastest Beyer figures, and he may find himself in a perfect spot behind dueling leaders.

6 Purse $34,000, 6 furlongs, 3-yearolds and up which have never won three races, claiming $30,000 ***DUPREE set a rapid pace in a deceptivel­y strong fourth-place finish, and he is switching to leading rider David Cabrera and is the one to catch. CRAWFORD has finished a competitiv­e third in consecutiv­e sprints at Fair Grounds, and he did break his maiden last February at Oaklawn. BIRD ORR BRADY showed big potential in a front-running maiden victory last season at Santa Anita, and after two disappoint­ing races he is adding blinkers and dropping into the claiming ranks.

7 Purse $33,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $20,000

**** DESERT THIEF won three consecutiv­e races last season at Oaklawn, and she may be sitting on a top effort following a useful third-place front-running finish in her seasonal debut. CLEOPATRA’S GOLD crossed the wire two lengths behind the top selection after a sluggish start, and the consistent mare did win 4 of 7 races in 2017. ENCHANTING EMBRACE defeated $15,000 claimers over a muddy strip at Delta, her Beyer figures are competitiv­e and she picks up rider Gary Stevens.

8 Purse $78,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight **POWERFUL ALLY recorded in-themoney finishes at Keeneland and Saratoga, previous to a tough-luck defeat Jan. 26 at Oaklawn, and he owns the fastest Beyer figures and deserves favoritism. FLIGHT RISK crossed the wire one position behind the top selection when making his first start around two turns, and he may turn the tables with the experience. REMEMBERIN­G RITA was compromise­d by a wide trip when fourthbest in the same races as the top two, and he drew inside and should improve.

9 The Bayakoa. Grade III. Purse $150,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up **FARRELL is a multiple Grade II winner who was sharp on the lead in winning the Pippin, and she showed versatilit­y when coming from off the pace to win the 2017 Fair Grounds Oaks. TORRENT looked good defeating second-level allowance mares in her seasonal debut, and the steadily improving 4-year-old filly may get a perfect trip stalking a contentiou­s pace. TERRA PROMESSA tired through the stretch as a post-time favorite in the Pippin, but she had a similar race last winter after a layoff before ripping off big victories in the Pippin and Bayakoa stakes.

10 Purse $22,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up which have never won three races, claiming $10,000

**AMAZE is moving up a claiming condition following a clear late-running victory at Remington, and he finished his preparatio­ns with a bullet four-furlong drill Feb. 13. MINISTER NICK wore blinkers for the first time and responded with a clear nonwinners-of-two victory nine days ago, and his connection­s are having an excellent meeting. LADYS LAST has been difficult to beat to the lead in a 13-race career, and one of his better races may get the job done.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States