LEE'S LOCK Elate in the eighth
BEST BET Aquamarine in the fourth
LONG SHOT Operation Stevie in the sixth
SATURDAY'S RESULTS
MEET 127-414 (30.7 percent)
****confident choice
***plenty to like
**things to like
*educated guess
1 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $6,250
***REDEAL has registered three front-running victories in succession while earning Beyer figures that are clearly fastest in this field. DESERT THIEF finished third at a much higher level only two races back. She is one half of an entry with Supercede, who is not without a chance. FANCY PANTS JEN won a pair of conditioned-claiming races this season at Fair Grounds, and the strong finisher picks up top rider Ricardo Santana.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
6 Redeal;Rocco;Hobby;3-1
1 Desert Thief;Cohen;McKnight;5-1
3 Fancy Pants Jen;Santana;Asmussen;5-2
4 Miss Placed Plan;Vazquez;Villafranco;4-1
1a Supercede;Mojica;Diodoro;5-1
2 Almafuerte;Court;Rouck;8-1
8 Northern Connect;Morales;Hiles;12-1
7 Jokasa;Borel;Wiggins;15-1
5 Fetch's Mon;Elliott;Fires;8-1
2 Purse $25,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $12,500
**POP CULTURE was claimed by high-percentage connections, and he is capable of a mild upset with one of his better races. LUCKY BRITCHES is having blinkers removed after a failed one-race experiment. He was claimed by a sharp stable, and a return to the form he showed last season at Churchill will make him difficult to beat. RAMBLINGRUDYRAGS splashed his way to a second-place finish at this condition 10 days ago, and he has finished in-the-money in four of his last five races.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
2 Pop Culture;Cohen;Diodoro;9-2
3 Lucky Britches;Birzer;Richard;4-1
6 Ramblingrudyrags;Eramia;Broberg;5-2
7 Lifesbeengoodsofar;Vazquez;Villafranco;3-1
9 R H Smoakem;Santana;Hartman;10-1
5 Air Power;Quinonez;Frazee;15-1
8 I'm River;Canchari;Martin;15-1
1 Ludlum;Mojica;Leonard;8-1
4 Purrfectpersuasion;Morales;Martin;15-1
3 Purse $32,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance
**TOP OF THE PAGE exits a strong third-place finish in a $20,000 claiming race, and he raced consistently well over wet tracks last season in New York. GOT EVEN was beaten 1 length in his return from a layoff, and he does have an impressive 4 of 7 win record on wet tracks. ABOVE BOARD lost a late lead when second in his first start of the season, and his early speed must be respected.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Top of the Page;Vazquez;Richard;7-2
1a Got Even;Cohen;Diodoro;2-1
1 Above Board;Cohen;Diodoro;2-1
7 Candyrock;Bridgmohan;Mason;5-1
4 Mineyerownmalone;Elliott;Vance;3-1
3 Kahramani;Santana;Sharp;8-1
2 Doctor Lee;WDe La Cruz;Puhl;8-1
6 Memphisinmay;Baze;Contreras;12-1
4 Purse $25,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up whoh have never won three races, claiming $12,500
***AQUAMARINE is dropping to the lowest price of his career, and he has earned the fastest recent Beyer figures. He also has a good wet-track record. FAREEQ is moving up a claiming condition after a clear wet-track win. He has early speed and was claimed by a winning trainer. LORD SIMBA was a graded-stake winner back in 2017, and the veteran gets in light with an apprentice rider aboard.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
10 Aquamarine;Cohen;Diodoro;3-1
2 Fareeq;Baze;Ortiz;6-1
6 Lord Simba;Padron-Barcenas;Hartman;5-1
3 King's Reckoning;WDe La Cruz;Puhl;20-1
11 Spa Shackalacka;Santana;Broberg;8-1
5 Carmelo;Morales;DiVito;10-1
4 Super Syd;Vazquez;Villafranco;6-1
1 Powerful Thirst;Birzer;Martin;15-1
7 Lookie Loo;Mojica;Diodoro;8-1
9 Call Me Richard;Elliott;Matthews;10-1
8 Divine Desire;Thompson;Jones;12-1
5 Purse $38,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won three races, claiming $30,000
**FLAT LUCKY has been racing well in second-level allowance races, and he will appreciate a drop into the conditioned-claiming ranks. He also has a good wet-track record. YOU'RE KILLIN ME had a competitive record last season while racing against better in New York, and he was claimed out of his local debut by leading trainer Steve Asmussen. CRAWFORD may have been best in a troubled second-place finish at this level, and the improving gelding is making his third start after a long break.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Flat Lucky;Eramia;Asmussen;3-1
1 You're Killin Me;Santana;Asmussen;6-1
3 Crawford;Canchari;Martin;6-1
6 Firehorn;Vazquez;Van Meter;4-1
7 Fulkerson;Loveberry;Villafranco;10-1
10 Sambucca;Elliott;Broberg;8-1
5 Strong Side;WDe La Cruz;Contreras;5-1
8 Out of Hydeing;Bridgmohan;Young;12-1
2 Big Al;Lara;Williamson;12-1
4 Charlie's Schiller;Meche;Ives;20-1
6 The Fifth Season. Purse $150,000, 1 1/16 mles, 4-year-olds and up
**OPERATION STEVIE defeated a minor stake-quality allowance field in a useful tune-up. The 7-year-old loves Oaklawn and has a strong record over wet tracks. SNAPPER SINCLAIR followed a clear second-level allowance win with a photo-finish loss in the Essex Handicap. His speed will have him in position to win turning into the stretch. MATROOH raced well in a few graded-stake races throughout 2018. He likely needed his local debut and figures to be a factor.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
10 Operation Stevie;WDe La Cruz;Contreras;10-1
9 Snapper Sinclair;Santana;Asmussen;9-5
4 Matrooh;Elliott;Contreras;5-1
1 Hawaakom;Eramia;Hawley;10-1
8 Rocky Tough;Smith;Asmussen;8-1
2 Secret Passage;Cohen;Diodoro;8-1
5 Casino Star;Morales;Van Berg;15-1
6 Noble Indy;Vazquez;Pletcher;5-1
7 Fight On;Baze;O'Neill;15-1
3 Gato Guapo;Mojica;Diodoro;12-1
7 Purse $30,000, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance
**TONEDADDY is a two-time beaten favorite at the meeting who is finally running at a preferred distance. The one-run closer has a good wet-track record. LINDANTE has finished second in his last two races while running over muddy tracks. He possesses route speed and keeps the leading rider. RED AGAIN has recorded three wire-to-wire victories at the meeting. He may be sharp enough to handle expected pace pressure.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Tonedaddy;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
5 Lindante;Cohen;Diodoro;3-1
7 Red Again;Canchari;Shorter;7-2
3 Rock n' Candy;Rocco;Hiles;8-1
4 Cool Catomine;Lara;Mason;9-2
9 Holiday Mischief;Vazquez;Ortiz;8-1
1 Heir of Storm;Mojica;Broberg;10-1
2 Bigshot Lacewell;Quinonez;Frazee;12-1
6 Due to His Charm;Elliott;Vance;12-1
1a Jubal;Mojica;Broberg;10-1
8 The Apple Blossom Handicap. Grade I. Purse $750,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
***ELATE is a multiple Grade I winner who finished a close second after a lengthy layoff in the Azeri, and she should be sitting on a top effort with a race over the track. MIDNIGHT BISOU is a Grade I winner of better than $1.9 million. She rallied past the top selection to win the Azeri, and she keeps Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith. ESCAPE CLAUSE easily defeated $100K stake rivals last month at Sunland, and she was a clear wet-track winner of the Grade III La Canada Jan. 12 at Santa Anita.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Elate;Ortiz;Mott;6-5
6 Midnight Bisou;Smith;Asmussen;7-5
3 Escape Clause;Baze;Schnell;5-1
5 Wonder Gadot;Cohen;Casse;6-1
2 Chocolate Martini;Bridgmohan;Amoss;15-1
4 Viva Forever;WDe La Cruz;Walder;30-1
9 Purse $93,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, allowance
**DUTCH PARROT is taking on males after a pair of solid performances in graded stake races, and an abundance of early speed will set up her consistent late run. HOONANI ROAD is a two-time stake-winning sprinter at Oaklawn, and he is perfect in two races on a wet track. Taking a short price with his limited route experience is a tad risky. BANDIT POINT finished well in the 6-furlong Nodouble Breeders', and he may benefit from a 9-pound swing in the weights.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER ODDS
1 Dutch Parrot;Cohen;Van Meter;3-1
2 Hoonani Road;Hill;Catalano;2-1
4 Bandit Point;Harr;Cline;20-1
6 Glacken's Ghost;Canchari;Robertson;6-1
3 Midnight Ruler;Thompson;Dixon;15-1
8 Racer;Court;Fires;8-1
11 Promising Shoes;Vazquez;Villafranco;10-1
10 Chantmeupbaby;Johnson;Hartlage;12-1
7 Mallard's Bro;Eramia;Cates;12-1
5 J.E.'s Handmedown;Santana;Altamirano;20-1
9 Bogey;Quinonez;Witt;20-1
12 Strawn's Cash;Lara;Cates;30-1
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
Aquamarine is a solid favorite in the fourth race, and playing two exactas over Fareeq and Lord Simba is a simple and hopefully profitable wager. I like the idea of singling Elate in a late double with Dutch Parrot and long-shot Bandit Point.
Sports on 04/14/2019