There are two graded races to look forward to at Oaklawn Park this weekend, as well as a Grade 3 from Santa Anita. The leading horse racing sportsbooks will offer prices for all races taking place, and you can find out more about some of the leading chances below.
Razorback Handicap- Grade 3
Oaklawn Park hosts a very competitive looking renewal of the Razorback Handicap on Saturday. The contest is run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles, and a talented field of nine have declared for this year’s renewal.
The first selection that we will look at is Lone Rock for trainer Robertino Diodoro. He is a seven-year-old gelding, and has very good form over the course and distance. Lone Rock landed the Tinsel Stakes around Oaklawn Park in December, winning with a speed figure of 109. He is deserving of a short-price after winning two graded races last year, including the G2 Alliance Stakes at Del Mar. However, he will be carrying top weight for the Razorback this weekend.
I’d be more interested in some of the horses carrying lighter loads this weekend. Rated R Superstar would be one of those. The nine-year-old landed the Fifth Season Stakes on his latest start, and has also claimed successes in an allowance optional claimer and the Governor’s Cup Stakes in the past 12 months.
However, my pick here is for Thomas Shelby. Currently priced up at 6/1, he was made to pay for a slow start on the rail last time out when finishing third in the Fifth Season Stakes. He was second in the Tinsel Stakes before that, and will go much closer this weekend given the weight he has in advantage over Lone Rock.
Pick: Thomas Shelby
Bayakoa Stakes- Grade 3
The re-arranged Bayakoa Stakes takes place this weekend at Oaklawn Park, with seven fillies and mares involved in the contest. It is run over a total distance of 1 1/16 miles.
Miss Bigly and Maltera will be among the leading contenders in the field. The prior mentioned selection has run very good races in the past six months since landing the Tranquillity Lake Stakes in August. She was third in back-to-back races in the G2 Zenyatta and G3 Chilukki, before failing to back up her victory at Oaklawn Park earlier in the season when second in January in the Pippin Stakes.
Maltera is a very classy sort. She finished ahead of Miss Bigly in the G3 Chilukki Stakes when second around Churchill Downs in November. She landed the Groupie Doll Stakes in August, and will be making her Oaklawn Park debut this weekend.
However, we like the chances of Queen Goddess. She was a Grade 1 winner last year, landing the America Oaks from Nicest and Fluffy Socks, and has flirted between the dirt and turf throughout her career with success on both surfaces. There’s no denying that she is the value play here, as she is currently around a 3/1 chance. If matching that Grade 1 form, she’s hard to look past.
Pick: Queen Goddess
