By Joe Quillen
Friday 3/1/24 – Oaklawn Park Race 9
After experiencing a day that we won’t experience for another four years, we March forward with the first QPW of the third month of 2024. We march over to Oaklawn Park for today’s ninth race, which is an optional claiming race for three-year-olds going six furlongs. Post time is scheduled for 5:55 pm Eastern time.
We have ten horses entered for today’s race, but it may be reduced by two entrants. Both the 5 Quencio (15/1 morning line) and the 8 Googol Joke are cross entered into Saturday’s eighth race, which is a two-turn optional claimer. Keep an eye on the changes when the signal goes up tomorrow or the scroll on the bottom of the Oaklawn simulcast video for updates. I’m imagining they both run on Saturday, but we will see.
The favorite in this race is the 2 Alder (5/2 ML) who was not far off the race last time out at the Fair Grounds on January 16 and just missed. He has shown that he can be tactically placed and could be looking to win today on his third race off of the layoff.
The 6 Cats by Five (4/1 ML) has run in some fast races over the last couple of months and just missed second last time out at the Fair Grounds two weeks ago or so. You have a dangerous jock/trainer combination here with Steve Asmussen and Ricardo Santana as well so if that’s an angle that tips you to this horse go for it.
The 10 Risk It (7/2 ML) draws the outside but he comes in from Gulfstream Park for today’s race and has the potential to go gate to wire here, especially if the 5 Quencio scratches for the Saturday race which he’s cross entered.
Also keep an eye on the 9 Henro (6/1 ML). He caught a tough field at Churchill on his debut that looked even tougher as Mystik Dan won the Southwest Stakes to get some points for the Kentucky Derby in May. Sometimes back class is a great thing to have, especially when you have young horses like this.
In the end, I think Risk It does wire this field today, especially if the 5 runs on Saturday. I’ll call this 10-9-2-6 and my play is $20 to win on the 10. Good luck everyone and I’ll be back tomorrow with a big Saturday of racing on the Kentucky Derby trail.
QPW Update Desk
- Saturday’s big races include the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park.
- Dornoch (2/1 ML) returns to the races after winning the Remsen in December at Aqueduct. Other major contenders include Speak Easy, Victory Avenue and Locked.
- Thirteen horses are entered for the Gotham at Aqueduct. Just a Touch is favored.
- An overflow field of 14 is entered for the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway. Epic Ride is the 5/2 morning line favorite.
- The card at Santa Anita which includes the San Felipe Stakes on the Kentucky Derby trail and the Santa Anita Handicap was moved from Saturday to Sunday due to rain. For those curious, this is a practice that they have done in Southern California over the last few years.
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