EXPRESS TRAIN on right track to Oaklawn Handicap.

HOT SPRINGS — Express Train, a 4-year-old son of Union Rags trained by John Shirreffs, is the probable favorite in a field of eight in the Grade II, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap for horses 4 years old and up today.

The 11/8-mile race, the ninth of 12 races on the card at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, has a scheduled post time of 4:49 p.m.

Express Train, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, has jockey Juan Hernandez as his listed rider. He finished second by half a length in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia, Calif., on March 6.

Express Train won the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 30, a race in which he was never further back than 3 lengths.

“He’s fortunate in that he’s a horse that can really lay close to the pace,” Shirreffs said. “I think that works out well.”

Fearless is a 5-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper trained by Todd Pletcher. Irad Ortiz, Jr. is set to ride the lightly-raced Fearless, who has won four of seven starts.

Fearless won the Grade II Gulfstream Park Mile in Hallandale Beach, Fla., on Feb. 27 in his last start.

Owendale, a 5-year-old by Into Mischief from the barn of trainer Brad Cox, has six wins in 22 starts, but he has had seven starts since his last win in the 1-mile Blame States at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 23.

Florent Geroux is set to ride Owendale in the Oaklawn Handicap.

“He is a tricky horse,” Geroux said. “Sometimes he runs good races, sometimes less. He’s a horse we’ve always liked, but we just wish, you know, we’d like to win a little more.

“He’s always right there, but mainly second or third on his resume, but he’s a good horse to ride. I think, on his best day, he can win the race, no problem. It’s just to see how he feels that day, really.”

Silver Slate, a 4-year-old son of Hard Spun and from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, is the 4-1 morning-line fourth choice. Silver Slate has won four consecutive races, including his last start in Oaklawn’s 1 1/16-mile Essex Handicap on March 13. He has raced as the favorite in seven of his career starts.

Rated R Superstar, an 8-year-old gelding by Kodiak Kowboy trained by Federico Villafranco, is entered off a second-place finish by a neck to Silver Slate at 19-1 in the Essex. Rated R Superstar won the Essex in 2019.