ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 9, CLARISTA

FIRST RACE

Hence, the winner of last year’s Sunland Derby and Iowa Derby, launches his 4-year-old season later on the card in a deep feature. In the opener, SARAAB moves back to dirt off a good comeback race on turf and note he’s put up his best Beyer Figures to date on the main track. SARAAB also has reason to move forward in his second start since May. DOUBLE DEEP was just edged against similar and for the effort earned what ranks as this field’s best last-race dirt Beyer Figure. CLEARLY SUPER is another moving back to the main track and he has run well on dirt in the past. He brings good two-turn seasoning to the table.

SECOND RACE

HAMAZINGLY RICH returns to the claiming ranks after facing steeper and the last time he ran for a tag he was a winner. YOO HOO’S ROCKET meets winners for the first time off a sharp maiden score. He has the speed to hold his position from the rail. THE CHECOTAH KID has moved forward with each of his starts at the meet. This marks his third out since October.

THIRD RACE

GOOGLEADO is a quick horse and like that he’s drawn outside of the other speed in this spot. He also ran a sharp race at this five and a half furlong trip last out. DARYLSLITTLEENGINE is the one to beat as he seeks to win his fifth straight race. The streak started in Hou, was extended at WRD, and now he makes his first ever start at Oaklawn. SENOR GRITS might get a nice pace to setup as there is a fair amount of speed in this spot.

FOURTH RACE

SERIOUS I CANDY meets winners for the first time, but like that she owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Figure and that she has an age edge on some of these as she is 4. She also has tactical speed, has had a nice amount of time between races, and is making her third start off the layoff. EIDOLON cuts back to one turn and the last time she raced at the configuration she was a winner. The score came at this distance at Oaklawn. SHOWREEL might be sitting on a peak race in her third start since October.

FIFTH RACE

IMPERATORE was prominent over a laboring track last out and might be best served if the strip is fast as his last win came on a fast track. CHIEF OF STAFF was a sharp winner last out in his first race since December. The six furlong start might prove to be a nice lead-in to this afternoon’s two turns. MALIBU WOOD is cutting back from a mile and a half to a mile and as such looking for him to be making his case in the later stages.

SIXTH RACE

BREAKING BREAD was second to a quality kind of winner last out and for the race was cutting back from two turns. BREAKING BREAD has tactical speed and a post that might give Santana options. IMPASSE is cutting back to one turn and on account of the distance move looking for her to be making her case in the later stages. LA KEY is a five-time winner facing some less-experienced rivals. She also is a versatile sort, and might get an ideal tracking trip off another capable runner in this spot, JACKSON HILL.

SEVENTH RACE

WHAT WHAT WHAT has class appeal as one who has been facing steeper. She also exits a quick race and could be sitting on a peak effort in her third start since November. DIVA OF DISASTER put in a nice bid for second to a win machine last time, and before that ran a competitive race against

open company at Oaklawn. ALINA’S IMAGE owns competitive Beyer Figures.

EIGHTH RACE

Fun field as each horse entered is a stakes winner, with four of the seven having won graded stakes. HENCE gets his 4-year-old season underway and the closer might get the right kind of setup right off the bat as there appears to be a fair amount of speed in this spot. He is making his first start since September, but what he lacks in recency he makes up for in class as multiple Grade 3 winner who earned more than $600K last year at 3. RATED R SUPERSTAR, also a Grade 3 winner, is another who can take advantage if there are fast fractions up front. He is back in the overnight ranks after the stakes start and he was a good-looking winner at this distance in an overnight race in January at Oaklawn. SHOTGUN KOWBOY can be closer to the pace than top two, which might give him a tactical advantage. He is another Grade 3 winner and he went over $1 million in career earnings earlier in the meet at Oaklawn. SHOTGUN KOWBOY could track DAN THE GO TO MAN and PRIME ENGINE. FAR RIGHT is a two-time stakes winner at Oaklawn, including the Grade 3 Southwest. NET GAIN was second last out in Houston in the $100K Maxxam Gold Cup won by Blueridge Traveler, who has since run third in the $300K Essex at Oaklawn.

NINTH RACE

CLARISTA is an honest sort who will be first Lasix. SWEET SWEET KIM exits same race as top choice, finishing right behind that one. SWEET SWEET KIM has an age edge on CLARISTA as she is 4. MISS D IRISH also comes out of the same race as top choice, finishing fourth. This marks the third start off a layoff for MISS D IRISH.