ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 5, LUCKY EVERY DAY

FIRST RACE

Oaklawn has a special schedule this week, racing from Wednesday through Saturday. In the opener, BLACK KAT TAPS is back on dirt and her maiden win came on the surface. AREEMAA meets winners for the first time off a double-digit maiden score and owns one of the field’s best last-race dirt Beyer Speed Figures. TURNSTONE leaves the Arkansas-bred ranks behind, but has held her own again open foes in the past. ENCANTA exits a race that has produced four next-out winners.

SECOND RACE

REDIVIVUS is a January foal who ran a credible fourth in his career debut last out. The Beyer Figure of 45 that he earned is the best last-race number in this field. CATS GOTTA CHANCE faced steeper last out and will be first Lasix. PRIVATE TRUTH has an age edge on top two as he is 4.

THIRD RACE

WISH YOU WERE MINE gives up recency to some of these as this marks her first start since November, but what she lacks there she makes up for in class as one who has seen steeper. The race KALALOU was second in last time has become a key one. The third-place finisher came back in her next start to account for a $16K claimer at Ind with a Beyer of 56 and the fourth-place finisher, Bloody Mary Mornin, a $10K claimer at Ind, with a Beyer of 73. This one is making her first start since October. POTRA LIZA is the winningest horse in the field with seven career victories on her resume.

FOURTH RACE

WISH FOR CANDY has a racing experience edge on these and has moved forward with each of her starts at the meet. She could be sitting on a peak effort in her third out since last April. ANGEL ARKIE split a large field in her debut last out, and the start came against steeper. Ditto for EPWORTH.

FIFTH RACE

LUCKY EVERY DAY appears to have more natural speed than most of these and that could give her a tactical advantage. She also is moving back into the statebred ranks after running a credible fourth against open foes here at Oaklawn. For this trip, LUCKY EVERY DAY adds blinkers in what is a high percentage move for Diodoro, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form. LIL TATER is also returning to the statebred ranks. She might be sitting on a peak effort here, in her third out since September. LOUEMMA meets winners for the first time, but owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Figure.

SIXTH RACE

OUTLIER might get an ideal stalking trip, as there appears to be a fair amount of speed in this spot. He’s from a stakes-winning mare who ran out $150K. JACKMAN ran a big race last out in what was his first start against winners. EASTSIDE COOL owns the field’s co-highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure, sharing the distinction with WAYAKIN.

SEVENTH RACE

AUCTION FEVER has fired competitive races against quality winners in both of her starts at the meet. She could be sitting on a peak performance here, in her third start since October. On a pedigree point, AUCTION FEVER is from a Grade 1-winning mare who ran out $359K. MATERA is from the mare Miss Macy Sue, a Grade 3 winner of $880K and the dam of Liam’s Map, a multiple Grade 1 winner of $1.3M. BRITTLE AND YOO makes the move to two turns and looking for her to be prominent on the stretchout.

EIGHTH RACE

These go the marathon distance of a mile and ninesixteenths in a fun feature race that could produce starters for the Trail’s End on the closing day card May 1. STRONG TIDE ran well over a mile and a half two starts back, when facing graded stakes rivals in the Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston. He gets good pedigree support for the marathon trip from sire English Channel. JUMPER was a winner over

a mile and three-eighths in September. EXCESSION has class appeal as a runner who was Grade 2-placed last year at Oaklawn.

NINTH RACE

SPIN RATE was second last out to a runner who was claimed in a 16-way shake. MAKE’N TRACKS ran a fine race last out in his first start against winners and is a logical choice back. MAJOR KONG has been knocking on the door against similar and seems due to clear this condition soon. More than capable.