ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 5, CANADIAN GAME

FIRST RACE

Oaklawn launches its 3-year-old series Monday with the running of the $150,000 Smarty Jones. The race has drawn seven runners, including shippers from Southern California, South Florida and Louisiana. In the opener, PERPLEXED is appealing for a runner-up finish against similar last out at Churchill Downs. In the race, he finished in front of some of these. STARSTRUCK KITTEN exits a key race. The winner came back to account for an N2X at Remington with a Beyer Figure of 82, and the 11th-place finisher, Swordfish, a $15K conditioned claimer, also at RP, with a Beyer of 67. BYE CRAZY EYES fits with these.

SECOND RACE

GEORGIA’S REWARD gets a shot with statebreds with the Oaklawn meet now on, one start after finishing a promising fourth in a maiden allowance at Churchill Downs. For the effort she earned what ranks as this field’s best career Beyer Figure. MORE MONIQUE has moved forward with each of her starts and like all of these gets her first chance in a race restricted to horses bred in Arkansas. DUTCH TREAT was just edged last out in a key race. The winner came back to account for a conditioned allowance at Ind with a Beyer of 66, and the fifth-place finisher, Penny Lynn, a maiden allowance at Mnr, with a Beyer of 54. This race is for 3-year-olds and up, but note that all of the entrants ended up being 3. On a few pedigree points, ALL ABOUT BETTY is from the popular multiple stakes winner All About Allie ($311K) and FIREWATER ROCKET is from a Grade 3-winning mare who ran out $136K.

THIRD RACE

PRETTY GREELEY has been knocking on the door against the N2L crowd and seems due to clear this condition soon. EYE ON HARPER was third for this price last out and is a logical choice back. She has been a consistent sort as a rule. CHEVY TO THE LEVY showed good speed on the turnback in distance last out and note the start came against steeper. Another who fits well is MOOLAMISS.

FOURTH RACE

B DUBYA returns to the maiden claiming ranks and his best finishes to date have come against such foes. He also has some recency on these for the start last time out at Fair Grounds. DOUBLE DEEP was fifth last out in what has become a key race. The sixth-place finisher, Shadow Sphinx, came back in his next start to account for a $30K maiden claimer at FG with a Beyer Figure of 54, and the 10th-place finisher, Maximus Luck, a maiden allowance at Mnr, with a Beyer of 33. SILENT WAVE debuted at two turns in a six and a half furlong race at Delta Downs and note horses coming off that surface often run well at Oaklawn. The alsoeligibles would seem to figure prominently here if either draws into the body of the field.

FIFTH RACE

CANADIAN GAME has turned in a series of competitive efforts in the maiden ranks in Southern California and has worked well over the local strip, turning a near bullet half-mile in 48.60 - the move the third fastest of 103 at the distance Jan. 6. CANADIAN GAME also is well-versed at the two-turn trip, owns the field’s best last-race and career Beyer Figure, and is a well-bred sort as both a son of Curlin and a half-brother to stakes winner Rock Candy ($91K). TIZ OUR TURN draws a wide gate, but like that he was second at this mile and a sixteenth distance last out. The race was his first on Lasix. TWIST OFF hooked a quality kind of winner last out at Keeneland. On a few pedigree points, LIGHTHAWK is out of a Grade 1-winning mare who earned $365K, and TAPIT CITY is a halfbrother to Lear’s Princess, a Grade 1 winner of $491K, and a full brother to Pretty City Dancer, a Grade 1 winner of $286K.

SIXTH RACE

HEY BRO is on top of his game right now. He won a sprint at Churchill Downs two back then stretched out to two turns last time to win a seven and a half

furlong race at Delta. For the effort he earned what ranks as this field’s best last-out Beyer Figure.

MINEYEROWNMALONE is another sharp horse as a winner of three of his last four starts. He might get a nice stalking trip off top choice, among others. HE’S SO ZAZZY was just edged last out in what has become a key race. The winner returned in his next start to account for an optional $35K claimer at Remington Park, with a Beyer of 86, and the eighth-place finisher, Spider’s Alibi, a $10K claimer, also at Remington, with a Beyer of 73. Another who fits well but must overcome a wide gate is ALL ABOUT ASHLEY.

SEVENTH RACE

SASSY SIENNA runs out of her own stall this afternoon after shipping to Remington last out for the $100K Trapeze. This one is appealing for the fact that she was fourth in the Grade 1 Alcibiades in October and, that in November, she ran a strong second to a next-out stakes winner in Miss Mo Mentum. In addition, SASSY SIENNA worked a bullet half-mile at Oaklawn on Jan. 7. HONOR WITH PRIDE was third last out in what has become a key race. The runner-up came back in her next start and was stakes-placed at Laurel, while the fifthplace finisher accounted for an optional $75K claimer at Tampa with a Beyer Figure of 64, and the sixth-place finisher, an optional $50K claimer at Turfway, with a Beyer of 59. SYDNEY FREEMAN was a statebred stakes winner at this distance in November at Remington. She then faced open company stakes rivals in the Trapeze and represented herself well, closing from last for fourth. She is from a Grade 3-winning mare who ran out $320K.

EIGHTH RACE

The Smarty Jones starts the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn and note the mile race will end at the sixteenth pole. The configuration should wellsuit MOURINHO, who brings excellent speed to the table. He will be making his two-turn debut off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Bob Hope at seven-eighths and note the winner of that race, Greyvitos, returned in his next start to capture the $400K Springboard Mile at Remington in stakesrecord time. As for MOURINHO, he gets pedigree support for the new distance challenge as his sire, Super Saver, won the Kentucky Derby, and his half-sister, Sandy’s Surprise, romped in the $300K Zia Park Oaks at a mile and a sixteenth in November. Baffert, who trains MOURINHO, has won 12 stakes in the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn since 2010. COMBATANT was the runner-up to Greyvitos in the Springboard - his stakes debut - and like how he was so well-regarded that afternoon, being made the favorite over the Southern California shipper coming off a Grade 3 win. COMBATANT has a useful stalking style and is a half-brother to a Group 3 winner in Long Lashes. NAVISTAR, a $900K purchase at auction, debuted against Mask, who in his next start nd won a Gulfstream stakes. ARCHED FEATHER is a half-brother to Illinois Derby winner Dynamic Impact and won what has become a key maiden race Nov. 26.

NINTH RACE

BARBARY HALL returns to the overnight ranks off the stakes start and also cuts back to one turn and looking for her to be strong through the stretch for the distance move. EVENT OF DEFAULT was third last out in a quick race. PAPERCOVERSROCK has won two of her last three starts and is a fresh face to the region as she has been racing in Southern California.