ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 4, JETS A GINNIN

FIRST RACE

Long Weekend, a multiple stakes winner last year at Oaklawn, launches his season in the Thursday feature that also drew a top Texas-bred runner in Direct Dial. In the opener, GREAT IN RED seems logical following a third-place finish at this level. She also owns the field’s best collection of Beyer Speed Figures. RENEGADE SUNSET showed speed in her two-turn debut last out and has reason to move forward in her second route attempt. TIEBREAK exits a key race. The runner-up came back to take a $50K maiden claimer at FG with a Beyer of 67 and the fourth-place finisher, Twilight Curfew, another $50K maiden claimer, at Hou, with a Beyer of 57. This one is back on dirt, where she ran well at Remington.

SECOND RACE

KALLINIKI was second for this price last time and owns what ranks as one of this field’s best last-race Beyer Figures. MOORAC cuts back to one turn and her maiden win came at this six furlong trip. ITSALLINTHENOTES meets winners for the first time, but owns the field’s best lastrace Beyer Figure. She’s also been flattered since her most recent out. The runner-up came back to take a $20K maiden claimer at OP with a Beyer of 62; the fifth-place finisher, Undecidedcertainty, a $12.5K maiden claimer at OP with a Beyer of 47; and sixth-place finisher Yes I’m Looking, a $16K maiden claimer at Pen, with a Beyer of 65.

THIRD RACE

NIFTY has some appealing company lines. He was fourth to Silver State two starts ago at this mile distance and since their meeting, Silver State has won both the $500K Essex and Grade 2, $1M Oaklawn Handicap. NIFTY exits a race against Drena’s Star, who is a leading contender later on the card, in the featured eighth race at Oaklawn. On a few pedigree points, NIFTY is from a multiple Grade 2-winning mare who earned $1.5M and has produced a pair of stakes winners. SECRET COURIER hooked a quality winner last out, with that one shipping in from Southern California off a graded stakes-placing at Santa Anita. SECRET COURIER moves to two turns here, and is a winner at this mile trip. EXCESSION figures to be making his case through the lane.

FOURTH RACE

JETS A GINNIN has more natural speed than most of these and is a candidate to wire the field. She also is one who wins often, with a record of 10-for18. LAY M OUT exits a quick race against steeper. She’s from a stakes-placed mare who won 11 races and earned $238K. OUR MUSICAL MOMENT moves into the starter ranks off the claim. She’s a half-sister to Rite Moment, a multiple Grade 2 winner of $399K.

FIFTH RACE

CHERISHED had a productive kind of comeback race last out, when racing with the pace to the later stages in her first out since December. The field was a quality one, too. She would seem poised to move forward. A. P. PRINCESS and SANDY SANGRIA have turned in some strong races over the local strip and note the winner of the race they exit has since won a stakes at Will Rogers Downs. Both faced starter foes last time.

SIXTH RACE

BOLD TACTICS ran a big race in her career debut last out, when second over a distance of a mile. She was beaten less than a length for everything and earned what ranks as this field’s best career Beyer Figure. SUNDIAL is well-versed at the twoturn trip and is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Time and Motion ($967K). PRINCESS LEA has a nice foundation of races in what should serve her well over a mile and a sixteenth.

SEVENTH RACE

AUCTION FEVER is a consistent performer who has run her race in each of her starts at the meet. She seems due to land in the winner’s circle soon. On a pedigree point, AUCTION FEVER is from a Grade

1-winning mare who earned $359K. FOREVER-NOA shortens up some in distance and her speed should serve her well in mile race that ends at the sixteenth pole, as with all races at this distance at Oaklawn. DESCENTE is a stakes winner who has won five of her last six starts. Racehorse.

EIGHTH RACE

HOLLIS returns to dirt and the last time he was seen on the main track he was second in what has been the meet’s fastest six furlong race. He shortens up a tad in distance here, and Ortiz likes five and a half furlongs for the horse and said it’s one of the reasons the turf sprint stakes winner ran in the Grade 2 Shakertown. This one will be back on Lasix after racing without the diuretic last out due to stakes protocols at Kee. DIRECT DIAL is in peak form, having won back-to-back stakes for Texas-breds at Sam Houston. He is cutting back to one turn here, and he’s spent the better part of his career sprinting. AWESOME ANYWHERE gives up recency to these, but exits a strong stakes effort at Monmouth. LONG WEEKEND is launching his season and last year he was impressive at Oaklawn, winning both the Gazebo and Bachelor, the latter over a future Grade 1 winner in Echo Town.

NINTH RACE

RUN FEARLESS was just edged at a similar distance and owns what ranks as one of this field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figures. Fires trained both this one’s sire - who won the Arkansas Derby - and dam, a local stakes winner who earned $198K. LITTLE BURRITO is a consistent sort who appears poised to graduate soon. RACY JAYCEE ran a credible race in her debut, while another of interest is MY DAMS ATITUDE.