Arkansas Democrat-Gazette handicapper Rick Lee seeks out horses that make good “key” horses in multi-horse and/or multi-race wagers, commonly called exotic wagers.
The 50-cent Pick 3 starting with the fourth race is attractive because the fourth race is a large and competitive field, the fifth race can be covered with little cost and the final leg should be reasonably covered with only a few contenders.
The ninth and final race is a good trifecta or superfecta wager with big potential if you can key a nonfavorite because contention runs very deep, which translates into a big payoff if you can predict the winner.
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Oaklawn Entries (Saturday) Post: 1:05 p.m.
LEE’S LOCK Ekati Sauce in the fifth
BEST BET Plenty Elusive in the sixth
LONG SHOT Cedar Creek in the second
FRIDAY’S RESULTS 3-9 (33.3 percent)
MEET 15-63 (23.8 percent)
*Educated guess
**Things to like
***Plenty to like
****Confident choice
1 Purse $23,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $16,000
**MONEY CANNON finished his 2014 campaign by defeating $30,000 claimers at Del Mar, and he has moved to the barn of trainer Robertino Diodoro, who wins at a high percentage with layoff types. VALDINA SAINT raced competitively at a higher class level at Remington, and his two previous dull races at Oaklawn were his only two career races wearing blinkers. NICK’S PICK must be respected because of his ability to win races, and he runs well fresh and picks up the leading rider.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Money Cannon;Hill;Diodoro;6-1
8 Valdina Saint;Berry;Calhoun;3-1
7 Nick’s Pick;Santana;Gorder;10-1
4 Right Squall;Loveberry;Caldwell;4-1
10 E.M. Maximus;Bridgmohan;Becker;6-1
11 Quality Council;Mello;Richard;5-1
1 Classy Cove;Birzer;Campbell;20-1
9 Tiu;Vazquez;Gorder;12-1
6 Ancient Rome;Court;Fires;12-1
2 Casa de Cambio;De La Cruz;Lynn;20-1
3 Star’s Valentino;BQuinonez;Petalino;15-1
2 Purse $60,000, 1 mile, 3-year-olds and up, maiden special weight
**CEDAR CREEK may be moving up in class, but he finished with energy in a third-place sprint finish at Churchill and he appears to be working stoutly for new trainer Cody Autrey. KING PTOLEMY set or pressed the pace in a competitive one-turn mile at Churchill, and he has recorded five subsequent breezes at 5 furlongs for top connections. TEN TO SHOW raced close to the lead from start to finish in his last start in California, and he is another with a winning team and competitive Beyer figures.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Cedar Creek;Ocampo;Autrey;6-1
4 King Ptolemy;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
9 Tent to Show;Hill;Diodoro;7-2
5 Legal Eagle;Bridgmohan;Catalano;4-1
2 Wit;Castanon;Van Meter;6-1
7 Rue de Grande;Birzer;Lukas;10-1
3 Tax Deduction;Vazquez;Moquett;5-1
8 Flytap;Berry;Asmussen;10-1
6 Union River;Court;Lukas;15-1
3 Purse $32,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $50,000
**CONQUEST PLAYMISTY is a first-time starter who has been breezing 5 furlongs for months and is bred to have speed, and trainer Mark Casse wins with this kind. HAPPY did not beat a horse after a slow start in his debut at Churchill, but he is taking a drop in class and is working smartly for new trainer Ron Moquett, who is off to a fast start in 2015. KARLYRAE’SWARRIOR finished second in a one-turn mile at Churchill in his only previous try in a maiden claiming race, and he has earned the fastest Beyer figure in the field and should come rolling late.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
6 Conquest Playmisty;Vazquez;Casse;7-2
8 Happy;Thompson;Moquett;10-1
7 Karlyrae’swarrior;Bridgmohan;Hobby;3-1
3 Whiskey Shiner;LQuinonez;Von Hemel;4-1
1 Chanticleer;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
5 Four Run Shot;Court;Fires;8-1
1a Musashi;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
4 Zipzapzapper;Birzer;Sims;10-1
2 Jennings Girls;Ocampo;Smith;6-1
4 Purse $26,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $25,000
*HUNTERWOOD defeated entry-level allowance rivals by 10 widening lengths just two back at Remington, and horses trainer by Federico Villafranco are running very well at the start of the meeting. HAPPY FELLA easily defeated starter allowance opponents over a muddy track at Churchill, and the versatile 5-year-old represents a stable that runs horses where they can win. BALEGA was overmatched in recent allowance races at Hawthorne but won his two prior races for a claiming price.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
7 Hunterwood;Vazquez;Villafranco;6-1
10 Happy Fella;Court;Cox;7-2
9 Balega;Felix;Mason;6-1
8 Jagger M;Bridgmohan;Casse;4-1
5 My Borsalino;Perez;Williamson;6-1
3 Mavericking;Franklin;Brueggemann;6-1
1 Sound Effect;Borel;Morse;12-1
11 Awol Adam;Rocco;Swearingen;15-1
2 Costilla Range;Esquivel;Brueggemann;12-1
6 Street Prancer;Santana;Asmussen;12-1
4 Southern Parkway;De La Cruz;Puhl;30-1
5 Purse $22,500, 6 furlongs, fillies, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $25,000
****EKATI SAUCE led every jump but the last few in a strong runner-up finish at Delta Downs, and she drew a good post for a sprinter with speed and is in a maiden claimer for the first time. FLYING STEVIE GIRL is a first-timer whose works match Thursday’s first race debut winner Poetic Poser for trainer W T Howard. SAYALILPRAYERFORME rallied to third in a maiden allowance sprint at Hawthorne, and she has moved into the winning stable of trainer Leroy Hellman.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
12 Ekati Sauce;Rocco;Autrey;8-5
11 Flying Stevie Girl;McNeil;Howard;20-1
9 Sayalilprayerforme;Court;Hellman;5-1
7 Star of Gallantry;Castanon;Cox;9-2
6 Avenue Montaigne;Loveberry;Milligan;6-1
4 Kate’s Carousel;LQuinonez;Broberg;10-1
8 Back in Dixie;Ocampo;Becker;15-1
2 Five One Five Oh;Corbett;Hartman;15-1
10 Vision Bad;Laviolette;Smith;20-1
1 Tizzy Dean;Perez;McBride;30-1
3 Gothesmarts;Esquilin;Cook;30-1
6 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up who have never won three races, claiming $25,000
***PLENTY ELUSIVE consistently earned the fastest recent Beyer speed figures, and he benefits from a race over the track and is taking a significant drop in class. FREAKIN ROCKET is a lightly raced 5-year-old who is stakes-placed and appears an attractive price in his first start in a conditioned claiming race. RIGHTOUS PARTY has finished in the money in four consecutive conditioned claiming races, and notice the presence of the leading rider.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Plenty Elusive;Vazquez;Villafranco;3-1
4 Freakin Rocket;Hill;Diodoro;8-1
10 Rightous Party;Santana;McNair;8-1
6 Nueshty;Hamilton;Robertson;4-1
2 Repent With Me;Bridgmohan;Shorter;8-1
3 Reigning Catfish;Rocco;Swearingen;12-1
9 No Biz Like Sue Biz;Franklin;Brueggemann;10-1
11 D’ Pepjo;Mello;Richard;12-1
12 Apple Toddy;Johnson;Irwin;20-1
8 Jaminsonsjester;BQuinonez;Loy;20-1
5 Zen’s Way;Loveberry;Petalino;12-1
7 Hadda Notion;LQuinonez;Lauer;12-1
7 Purse $60,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies, 3-year-olds
*FLIRTAWAY benefited from a fast pace but was unprepared at the break and was raced very wide through the turn in an encouraging debut, and she is bred to route and benefits from a big rider change. BOOTSY’S GIRL has rallied to fourth in two fast-paced races at Churchill, and she is dropping into a maiden claimer for the first time for a winning trainer-rider team. HEART LOVE KISS circled rivals on the second turn in a solid fourth-place two-turn turf debut at Churchill, and she shows good local works and has more of a main track pedigree.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Flirtaway;Santana;Pitts;6-1
4 Bootsy’s Girl;Hill;Gorder;4-1
2 Heart Love Kiss;Castanon;McPeek;7-2
6 U V A Law School;Corbett;Smith;12-1
8 Golfin’ De An;Laviolette;Smith;6-1
1 Ranger’s Express;Thompson;Glyshaw;12-1
10 Hunan Hannah;Loveberry;Von Hemel;9-2
5 Purr;Johnson;Hartlage;8-1
7 Haute Prospect;Rocco;Danner;10-1
3 Wonderful Star;Wethey;Hall;15-1
8 The American Beauty. Purse $100,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
***SUGAR SHOCK has been on the bench since June, but she won consecutive Grade III races last spring at Oaklawn Park and led for 6 furlongs before tiring in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks. She has two recent bullet works and may outclass this group. BRAZEN PERSUASION was a graded stakes winner as a juvenile filly at Saratoga and fired fresh to win her 2014 debut at Churchill Downs. FLOWER SPELL is a remarkably consistent stakes-winning sprinter who narrowly missed at Keeneland when finishing her 2014 campaign, and she has shown a likeness for Oaklawn in four local races.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Sugar Shock;Hill;Anderson;3-1
5 Brazen Persuasion;Vazquez;Stall;9-2
3 Flower Spell;Felix;Mason;8-1
12 Fast N Fine Lookin;LQuinonez;Petalino;6-1
9 Scarletridgerunner;Franklin;Brueggemann;5-1
7 Table Three Ten;Bridgmohan;Stidham;8-1
4 Chortle;Perez;Williamson;12-1
10 Belle Natalie;Santana;Gorder;15-1
1 Win’em All;Ocampo;Becker;15-1
1a St. Louis City;Ocampo;Becker;15-1
6 Springsteen Road;Esquivel;Peitz;20-1
11 Spring Included;Rocco;Hobby;15-1
2 Haveyougoneaway;Loveberry;Milligan;20-1
9 Purse $18,300, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $6,250
**FLEXNOW was a decisive winner of his past three races at Remington, and he possesses tactical speed and drew an advantageous two-turn post position. JACK’S THE WON has not raced in 10 months, but he is the class of the field and figures to be fit for winning trainer Brad Cox. DONTCHANGETRAINERS won his last two Remington starts in dramatic last-to-first fashion, and the pace figures to be honest enough to set up another late run.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
2 Flexnow;Vazquez;Biehler;5-1
5 Jack’s the Won;Castanon;Cox;8-1
7 Dontchangetrainers;Loveberry;Caldwell;3-1
11 Tiz Ready;Hamilton;Hartman;7-2
4 Barrymore;Mello;Richard;10-1
9 Signature Event;Berry;Broberg;12-1
10 Beware the Tiger;Birzer;Campbell;15-1
6 Dr. Jajo;Santana;Asmussen;6-1
3 Flyin Trey;Borel;Holthus;8-1
1 Eleven Final Fours;McNeil;Milligan;15-1
8 Baloch Or;Felix;Duncan;20-1
story created on Friday 1/23/2015 at 3:36:06 pm by Steve Goff