Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Oaklawn Park

Thorpedo Anna is once again the star of the show. Only the second 3-year-old filly in modern racing to be named Horse of the Year, the champion looks to remain unbeaten as a 4-year-old when she faces six others on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. As a handicap, the 1 1/16-mile test will ask the daughter of Fast Anna to give four to twelve pounds to her opposition. In her first start of the season, she won easily over the track in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes. Her top opponents in this one include Where’s My Ring, Free Like a Girl, and Wild Bout Hilary.

In support of the Apple Blossom, male sprinters will battle in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint. Booth looks to be a solid favorite after two straight sharp stakes victories at Oaklawn Park. Experienced graded stakes winners Anarchist and Tejano Twist appear to be the biggest dangers in the 6 furlong test. Without further ado, let's get to my analysis, top picks, and suggested wagers for this strong card of racing from Oaklawn Park.

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Race #8 Count Fleet Sprint (Grade 3) $500,000 6-Furlongs Dirt- 5:04pm EST

Always talented, Booth has seemingly put it all together in his last two starts as he easily won back-to-back stakes races, including the Grade 3 Whitmore Stakes last time. On Saturday, he will be a big favorite to make it three straight at Oaklawn Park when he tops the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, the son of Mitole has been impressive sprinting before, only to be beaten as the favorite on three occasions. Can he be trusted now, and at low odds? If the winner of 5-of-9 lifetime runs back to his last two, he will be the one to beat, but early pace pressure could bring out his vulnerabilities once again. There is enough early speed in here to at least make him work in the first part of the race.

One of the horses capable of testing him early is the multiple graded stakes winner Anarchist. At his best in the summer of 2023, the now 6-year-old was among the best sprinters in the nation. He only started three times last year and was winless, but did finish the year off with a decent third in the rich Korea Sprint. His two races this year are not terrible, but he will need to improve in his third start since the layoff to win this one.

Another contender here is the late running Tejano Twist. Also a 6-year-old, he has done some of his best running at Oaklawn Park, where he has finished first or second in nine of his eleven starts at the Arkansas oval.  He was a beaten third last time by Booth in the Whitmore, but if the pace sets up for him better on Saturday, he could pick up all the pieces. In hopes of upsetting the big favorite, Tejano Twist will be my top pick.

My Play

• $20 Win & Place - Tejano Twist = $40

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Race #10 Allowance $131,000 1 1/16-Miles Dirt- 6:08pm EST

Fresh off a pair of wins at Tampa Bay Downs and Colonial Downs, Lure Him In merits lukewarm favoritism in this interesting allowance race for older males going 1 1/16-miles on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

In his most recent race, the Khozan gelding skipped over an extremely fast track on the Virginia Derby undercard. This race should offer stronger competition than the former stakes winner has faced in his two race winning streak, however, and there are several good options to try to beat the favorite.

The second choice on the morning line is Lat Long from the barn of Kenny McPeek. The Liam’s Map colt sports a nice record over the Oaklawn track and comes in off a sharp allowance win. He too will be facing tougher in this one.

Several dangerous contenders await the top pair, including Willy D’s, who will be making his first start for trainer Mike Maker, as well as a capable pair trained by Norm Casse. Both Awesome Aaron and Baddest Good Boy are in with a chance for the young trainer, but the latter is the one I like best. He has only run three times, but shows strong potential. After two solid wins at Oaklawn to begin his career, he was bumped at the start against strong competition last time in the Grade 3 Razorback and faded down the stretch. I will look for a bounce back effort here as he adds blinkers. Baddest Good Boy is my top pick.

My Plays

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Baddest Good Boy over Lat Long, Lure Him In, and Willy D’s = $30

• $5 Exacta Part Wheel - Lat Long, Lure Him In, and Willy D’s over Baddest Good Boy = $15

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Race #11 Apple Blossom Handicap (Grade 1) $1,250,000 1 1/16-Miles Dirt- 6:48pm EST

In search of her sixth Grade 1 victory in the past eleven months, the 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna looms a prohibitive favorite against six other older fillies and mares in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park.

A daughter of Fast Anna, the 4-year-old star enjoyed a magical season last year which included big wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff, as well as a near miss against the best of the males in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. In her only start this year for trainer Kenny McPeek, Thorpedo Anna was an easy winner at Oaklawn Park last month in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes.

Chief among her competition in this 1 1/16-mile affair is the graded stakes winner Where’s My Ring. Although she has only won twice in her career, the wins are strong enough to believe that she could be a force in the division if she can put it all together. An easy winner of the Grade 3 Gazelle last season, she was no match for Thorpedo Anna in two subsequent Grade 1 attempts. Rounding back into top form, the Twirling Candy filly romped home in a fast allowance race last month over the track.

Two others to consider in the Apple Blossom are the multiple stakes winners Free Like a Girl and Wild Bout Hilary. The former finished a solid second to Thorpedo Anna in the Azeri and has won over $2.2 million in her excellent career. The latter has plenty of speed and has won two straight stakes races, the last one coming at Oaklawn Park. I don’t expect the champion to be beat here, however. Thorpedo Anna is my top pick.

My Play 

• $20 Daily Double Part Wheel - Thorpedo Anna with Demidanu and Pharoah’s Heart = $40

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Race #12 Allowance $131,000 6-Furlongs Dirt- 7:25pm EST

In a contentious allowance race to end the day, Demidanu is the morning line favorite against ten other older females in this 6 furlong sprint at Oaklawn Park.

An easy mare to like, Demidanu has won 11 of 29 races lifetime. A 6-year-old daughter of Formidable, she has been a regular visitor to the winner’s circle at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. The stakes winning Iowa-bred has kept up her good form since coming to Arkansas, with a win and a second in three starts over the track. Last out she was a convincing winner against several mares she will face again here.

The next two on the morning line should get plenty of support in this one, as well. Itzel has plenty of early speed and was a sharp gate to wire winner at Oaklawn four weeks ago. Gloriette is another one who could be part of what looks to be a crowded early pace. The beaten favorite against Demidanu last time, she had won two straight easily before that.

A live longshot in the race could be the David Jacobson-trained Pharoah’s Heart. The consistent late runner should get plenty of pace to set the table and she comes in off a nice win over the track. Overall, however, I can’t overlook the overall record of Demidanu. She is my top pick.

My Play

• $5 Exacta Part Wheel - Demidanu and Pharoah’s Heart over Demidanu, Pharoah’s Heart, Gloriette, Dashingly, and Itzel = $40

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