LEE'S LOCK Aurora's Kid in the third
BEST BET Atlantic Slew in the fourth
LONG SHOT Cash Money Always in the fifth
SATURDAY'S RESULTS 2-10 (20 percent)
MEET 57-208 (27.4 percent)
*educated guess
**things to like
***plenty to like
****confident choice
1 Purse $24,500, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, Arkansas-bred, claiming $15,000
OCTOBER SKY** is dropping into a state-bred conditioned claiming race after a solid sixth-place finish in "open" company. He likely needed the race after a long layoff and historically runs much better in his second race after a break. TERIAT proved stubborn on the lead in a $25,000 maiden-claiming victory, and the lightly raced and improving 3-year-old is likely to show more. HANK'S ALIBI followed a wet-track maiden victory with a third-place finish at this level, and he has been consistent in his Oaklawn races.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 October Sky;Canchari;Martin;6-1
11 Teriat;Felix;Mason;3-1
2 Hank's Alibi;Loveberry;Petalino;8-1
1 Dothebestyoucan;Kennedy;Rowland;20-1
9 Tipsy Suspect;Sanjur;Roberts;20-1
12 Ms. D's Last Storm;Rodriguez;Whited;20-1
7 Shoe Money;Court;Fires;4-1
4 Light Bound Bid;Eramia;Loy;20-1
3 Where's Lewis;Borel;Howard;20-1
5 Mr. Atomic;Wethey;Cline;5-1
6 Gone Preachin;Pompell;Gonzalez;20-1
13 Cannington;Santana;Moquett;15-1
14 Sammy Boy;St Julien;Morse;20-1
10 Armored Knight;Clawson;Hale;20-1
2 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $15,000
LEARNING CURVE** has finished with energy in consecutive second-place finishes, and the beaten post-time favorite may make amends with new and leading rider Ricardo Santana aboard. SCOTCH IS MY CANDY showed good early speed before tiring in her career debut. She is dropping in class and has a license to show marked improvement. LINEUP FOR KISSES finished second after contesting the pace only two races back, and this trainer-rider team is difficult to beat.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
6 Learning Curve;Santana;Caldwell;2-1
8 Scotch Is My Candy;Cannon;Hartman;3-1
3 Lineup for Kisses;Vazquez;Villafranco;4-1
5 Pop Tarts Princess;Johnson;Hartlage;9-2
2 Animauxion;Kennedy;Loy;12-1
4 Little Dixie K;Eramia;Raidt;10-1
7 Wonderful Kiss;St Julien;Holthus;20-1
1 Miss Everdeen;Loveberry;Milligan;15-1
1a Sammy Blue Cat;Loveberry;Milligan;15-1
9 Mae's Magic;Birzer;Van Berg;20-1
3 Purse $25,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up who have never won three races, claiming $15,000
AURORA'S KID**** is dropping in price after hitting the board in a pair of unusually fast conditioned claiming sprints. He has high-percentage connections and holds a clear talent advantage in this field. SENOR GRITS raced close to the pace in a clear second-place finish at this condition, and he is a front-running threat if able to hold form for new connections. ROCKSTAR JIM earned strong Beyer figures in a pair of two-turn wins last season at Oaklawn. He appears to be training nicely for his return after a 10-month vacation.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Aurora's Kid;Vazquez;Villafranco;6-5
3 Senor Grits;Lantz;Winebaugh;7-2
8 Rockstar Jam;Birzer;Van Berg;10-1
2 Rippin Ride;Clawson;Morse;4-1
5 Holy Bullex;Perez;Stuart;12-1
6 Backlash;Santana;Ortiz;10-1
4 Midnight Blue Note;Felix;Mason;15-1
7 Cash King;BQuinonez;Young;20-1
9 Rarin to Go;Borel;Frazee;20-1
4 Purse $24,500, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races, claiming $15,000
ATLANTIC SLEW**** finished a close second behind a recent repeat winner and was 7 lengths clear of third in a sharp local debut. She is taking a slight class drop and drew well for a sprinter with early speed. YOU VOW ME has shown early speed in four consecutive in-the-money finishes. She was claimed by a winning stable and is an attractive price on the morning line. G P'S GIRL has not raced since October, but she was a clear maiden winner last spring at Oaklawn. Her recent workouts have been encouraging.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Atlantic Slew;Franco;Diodoro;5-2
7 You Vow Me;Perez;Puhl;15-1
8 G P's Girl;Thompson;Manley;12-1
1 Rise Above It;Pompell;Klopp;8-1
2 Bosses Money;Court;Fires;5-1
3 Rose of the Nile;St Julien;Von Hemel;7-2
5 Schuyler Warrior;Roman;Robertson;10-1
4 Quick Zip;LQuinonez;Von Hemel;6-1
6 Sweet Abigail;Lantz;Campbell;6-1
5 Purse $30,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $30,000
CASH MONEY ALWAYS* has earned competitive Beyer figures while competing at a higher maiden classification at Fair Grounds and Churchill, and he shows two swift breezes since a dull wet-track finish. KING'S RECKONING has finished second as an odds-on favorite in consecutive route races. He was claimed by a winning barn and should be a decent price. BEACHTOWN BENNY has been racing evenly in recent sprint races, but he is dropping into a maiden-claimer for the first time. He is bred to improve at route distances.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
12 Cash Money Always;Franco;Compton;10-1
4 King's Reckoning;Perez;Puhl;5-1
2 Beachtown Benny;Cannon;Hartman;4-1
8 Bigshot Lacewell;LQuinonez;Von Hemel;6-1
9 First Edition;Santana;Asmussen;9-2
3 Gooby;St Julien;Petalino;8-1
11 Cedarville;Rocco;Van Meter;12-1
6 Red Leopard;Vazquez;Lukas;8-1
1 All Hansens Ondeck;Hill;Hofmans;12-1
5 Savie;ACourt;Lynn;20-1
7 Road Check;Kennedy;Ward;15-1
10 Ascot John;Canchari;Haran;20-1
6 Purse $23,500, 1 1/8 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $7,500
FRANCOIS** raced evenly after early trouble in a fifth-place finish, but he is taking a significant drop in class for top connections. He has won two of three races at this extended route distance. SKY ALERT was compromised by traffic entering the stretch in a fast-closing fourth-place finish. He is back at the same price and should appreciate the added ground. BIG BEN overcame a wide trip when defeating conditioned-claimers just two back at Churchill. A wet track may have been his undoing Jan. 16.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Francois;Vazquez;Villafranco;4-1
8 Sky Alert;Santana;Asmussen;3-1
10 Big Ben;Perez;Hartman;10-1
4 Big Tire;De La Cruz;Garcia;20-1
6 Splendiferous;Loveberry;Martin;6-1
2 Tour de Rock;Landeros;Broberg;10-1
3 Stratocruiser;Pompell;Smith;12-1
1 Midas Dancer;Felix;Mason;12-1
7 Husky Clipper;Osorio;Cox;8-1
9 Summer King;Roman;Chleborad;15-1
12 Eddington's Star;Canchari;Cristel;12-1
11 Man of Quality;BQuinonez;Young;12-1
7 Purse $72,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden special weight
I AM*** finished a close second behind the post-time favorite in a vastly improved 2017 debut. He finished in front of many of his contenders and may finally be running to his works. GLACKEN'S GHOST finished two positions behind the top selection, but he did encounter trouble at the break and was caught wide on the turn in a race he likely needed. UNCLE GOYLE is adding blinkers after a good fifth-place finish in his first race after 11 months on the bench. He is switching from an apprentice to a winning veteran rider.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
4 I Am;St Julien;Ives;4-1
12 Glacken's Ghost;Canchari;Robertson;9-2
13 Uncle Goyle;Birzer;Morse;6-1
7 Quik Way Road;Vazquez;Cates;7-2
2 Alvin's Touch;Borel;Howard;5-1
9 Mostly Sunny;Rodriguez;Whited;12-1
11 All to Stormy;Corbett;Martin;10-1
6 Not for Truth;Franco;Jayaraman;8-1
8 J. Town Wolf;Clawson;Whiting;20-1
5 Reverend Don;ACourt;Petalino;15-1
3 Bay's Commander;BQuinonez;Cline;12-1
1 Tetons Candy;Sanjur;Robertson;30-1
10 Divine Counsil;Eramia;McKellar;20-1
14 He Gotta Go;Eramia;Myers;20-1
8 Purse $76,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming
DONITA'S RULER** is a classy mare who won three races last season, and he benefits from a strong runner-up finish at the current meeting. He figures near the lead from the start. CHANTELINE finished fourth after setting an honest pace on opening day. She is a stakes-placed sprinter who needed the race after nine months on the sidelines. A GALA DAY followed a clear optional claiming victory with a third-place finish in the American Beauty. She has never finished worse than second in five races at Oaklawn.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Donita's Ruler;Canchari;DiVito;6-1
6 Chanteline;Santana;Asmussen;3-1
4 A Gala Day;Roman;Villafranco;6-1
2 Misleading Lady;Court;Cox;4-1
7 Pleasant Tales;Vazquez;Stewart;5-1
8 Durango;Clawson;Morse;8-1
1 Calypso Run;Rocco;Sharp;6-1
9 Beach Flower;Marquez;Robertson;12-1
3 My Master Plan;LQuinonez;Von Hemel;15-1
9 Purse $72,000, 6 furlongs, fillies, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
SAMEEHA** contested the pace while three-wide and continued well to the wire in a third-place debut. This stable's record with first-timers suggests an improved race is coming. FIESTA ran early with the top selection before fading in her return from a long layoff. He showed talent in his one start at Belmont and deserves another chance. TEMPTING OUR FATE has a series of encouraging workouts leading up to her career debut. Trainer Chris Hartman knows how to bring a young horse up to a winning race.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
8 Sameeha;Osorio;Peitz;4-1
1 Fiesta;Hill;Hartman;7-2
5 Tempting Our Fate;Cannon;Hartman;9-2
11 Jackson Hill;Laviolette;Smith;8-1
9 Drossy;Eramia;Asmussen;8-1
10 On My Toes;Landeros;Von Hemel;12-1
2 Swing and Sway;Santana;Moquett;5-1
7 She's Ventastic;Pompell;Pompell;15-1
6 Never Hungover;Birzer;Lukas;20-1
3 Raven's Risen Sky;Loveberry;Milligan;12-1
4 Prado's Grey;Felix;Raidt;20-1
EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES
• October Sky appears a likely winner in the first, and in a full field of 12 it makes sense to use several runners in the two hole and restrict the third spot to logical contenders in hopes of a big price coming in the place spot. The 50-cent Pick-3 beginning in race four starts with a potential "single" in Atlantic Slew, and the second leg is a wide-open field of 12 with several contenders. The wager closes in race six, and it may take three or four to adequately cover the race.
Sports on 02/19/2017