FRIDAY’S RESULTS;

FIRST POST — 1 P.M.

Rick Lee’s selections for today.

LEE’S LOCK Silver State in the sixth

BEST BET Twilight Blue in the seventh

LONG SHOT Bamalama in the fifth

FRIDAY’S RESULTS 5-9 (55.5%). **** confident choice ***plenty to like

**things to like

*educated guess

1 Purse $22,500, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races, claiming $10,000

** ALEX’S STRIKE has not raced since May, but he raced competitively against better in 2020 and has a series of encouraging workouts. YAMANO MAKER returns fresh for trainer Steve Asmussen, and the lightly raced 6-year-old may be the controlling speed. ROGALLO has finished in the money in three consecutive races, and the beaten post-time favorite is taking a slight drop in price.

2 Purse $27,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $16,000

***RARE FORM was a clear winner at this claiming price in his last race at Churchill, and he was claimed by high percentage connections. He is strictly the one to catch. PICKFORD defeated $20,000 claimers four races back at Churchill Downs, and he ships to Hot Springs following consecutive second-place finishes. KNIGHT’S CROSS finished 2020 with a determined win at this claiming price at CD, and he picks up a leading rider and figures near the lead throughout.

3 Purse $24,000, 5 1/2 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $10,000

***GREELEY AND BEN has been consistently good having won two of three races since moved to the barn of trainer John Ortiz, and he is spotted to win in a lesser $10,000 claimer. BITUMEN is dropping to the lowest claiming price of his career for top connections, and he benefits from a recent race at Delta Downs. ALL STAR RED is taking a slight drop following a third-place finish at Monmouth, and he was claimed by a winning stable. Local works have been sharp.

4 Purse $50,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $50,000

**JALEN JOURNEY contested an honest pace defeating $40,000 rivals at Churchill. The multiple graded stake-placed veteran loves to win and is spotted to repeat. EASY SHOT is a consistently competitive two-turn runner who is training well at Oaklawn, and he has finished second in all three of his previous tries at this sprint distance. CHAMPAGNEONME finished third at this claiming price at Del Mar, and the pace figures fast enough to set up his late run.

5 Purse $82,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight

**BAMALAMA showed excellent speed in three consecutive works in December at Churchill, and his sire was an unbeaten multiple stake winner. OUTASITE has lost a late lead in both races as a juvenile at Churchill. He is cutting back in distance and is treated with Lasix for the first time. MACRON pressed the early pace in a second-place finish at Churchill. He recorded a sharp local five-furlong breeze Jan. 10, and he is also on Lasix for the first time.

7 Purse $84,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, allowance **** TWILIGHT BLUE raced close to a rapid pace when finishing third in the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds, and he is strictly the one to beat in this entry-level allowance. SWIFTSURE was pressured through brisk fractions before kicking clear in an encouraging debut win at Fair Grounds, and he is bred top and bottom to be a terrific sprinter. CAUSEWAY JONES showed good early speed in a 7-length career debut victory last month at Remington, and he is a contender with any kind of improvement for new and winning connections.

9 Purse $82,000, 6 furlongs, fillies, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight

*CATALAN was bet down to 3-1 odds in her debut on the strength of a fast gate work at Keeneland, but she had trouble at the break and never got involved. Her subsequent works have been solid and she has a license to show much more. MARION FRANCIS set the pace in a second-place debut at Churchill. The Brad Cox trainee is treated with Lasix for the first time and likely goes favored. SHES

GOT IT rallied to second as a 9-1 outsider in her first race at Churchill, and horses trained by Wayne Catalano typically show marked improvement in a second race.