Rick Lee's Oaklawn Park selections and analysis

THURSDAY'S RESULTS 3-9 (33.3 percent)

MEET 74-218 (33.9 percent)

LEE'S LOCK Firewater Rocket in the seventh

BEST BET Stanza in the second

LONGSHOT Far Out Kailee in the fourth

CONFIDENCE RATINGS

*educated guess

**things to like

***plenty to like

****confident choice

1 Purse $22,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden claiming $16,000

**VESTED CREEK has weakened after showing speed in both starts this season, but he is dropping in class and one of his better races will make him difficult to beat. AVA'S PARKER contested the pace for six furlongs before tiring in a useful two-turn effort, and the lightly raced runner is back sprinting and switches to a high percentage rider. RICK'S STRYKER disappointed in his career debut after posting a series of good works, but he was claimed by a sharp stable, who quickly put blinkers on.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

10 Vested Creek;Quinonez;Witt;10-1

8 Ava's Parker;De La Cruz;Compton;2-1

2 Rick's Stryker;Cohen;Diodoro;3-1

5 Quietly Cuba;Thompson;Martin;8-1

4 It's Bellamy Time;Birzer;Roberts;5-1

1 Letsrockthisparty;Canchari;Martin;20-1

9 Rickey Lee;Wethey;Hornsby;15-1

6 Reverend Don;Court;Petalino;20-1

3 Scrimps;Bedford;Whited;6-1

7 Kingofthefairway;Morales;Shumake;20-1

2 Purse $20,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $8,000

****STANZA has not raced since September, but he was beating up on better in 2017, and he has good early speed and excels on a wet track. EXCESSIVE is an old class-horse who is no longer consistent, but he is more than capable with one of his better races. ORIENTAL CROWN has finished third in both of his starts this season, and he is unbeaten in two races on a wet track.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

3 Stanza;Cohen;Diodoro;5-2

7 Excessive;Birzer;Chleborad;20-1

6 Oriental Crown;Vazquez;Ortiz;6-1

13 Crooked as Can Be;Thompson;Martin;12-1

1 Moon Over Cuzco;Court;Milligan;7-2

4 Runingunninrascal;Eramia;Broberg;15-1

5 Sabbatarian;Sanjur;Garcia;15-1

8 Big Headed Jerry;Pompell;Smith;8-1

12 Belvin;Santana;Caldwell;12-1

10 Rippin Ranger;Felix;Mason;10-1

2 Oh My Gravy;St Julien;Von Hemel;10-1

9 Include Indycat;Gazader;Vance;15-1

11 Matuszak;Canchari;Hall;20-1

3 Purse $23,000, 1 mile, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $20,000

**FACTOR ME IN was forwardly placed in a competitive third-place finish, and he was claimed by a sharp Canadian stable and switches to a leading rider. TRADING CASH finished two lengths in front of the top selection in a photo finish defeat Jan. 26, but the likely favorite has not been quite as good on wet tracks. FAREEQ finished fourth in a useful sprint tuneup and likely needed the race after a layoff, and he is bred top-and-bottom to improve at route distances.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

4 Factor Me In;Vazquez;McKnight;7-2

10 Trading Cash;Santana;Moquett;5-2

5 Fareeq;Gazader;Peitz;4-1

3 John Allen;Court;Donaldson;9-2

6 Dreamrider;Birzer;Compton;8-1

1 Arizona;De La Cruz;Puhl;8-1

1a King's Reckoning;Prescott;Puhl;8-1

8 See the Ranger;St Julien;Von Hemel;15-1

7 Charlie's Schiller;Bedford;Ives;30-1

9 Black Bomber;Felix;Mason;20-1

2 Corbin;Sanjur;Shorter;20-1

4 Purse $23,000, 1 3/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance

**FAR OUT KAILEE broke poorly and was compromised by a slow pace in a deceptively good sprint tuneup, and he did win four of 10 route races last season and has enough speed to be in perfect position turning for home. LUV BANDIT won a fast $6,250 claiming race in his local debut, and he has a terrific career record on a wet track and picks up Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens. GET THAT BOX is at the top of his game and figures the one to catch.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

7 Far Out Kailee;Prescott;Matthews;8-1

3 Luv Bandit;Stevens;Caldwell;4-1

2 Get That Box;Laviolette;Smith;6-1

4 Perfect Parade;Eramia;Devereux;5-1

6 Ucanthankmelater;Cohen;Diodoro;2-1

5 Dynabeaver;Canchari;Martin;3-1

1 Star Dog;Morales;Van Berg;8-1

5 Purse $34,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $40,000

**YOU'RE KILLIN ME finished second behind a recent repeat winner in his 2018 debut, and he was flattered when the third-place finisher came back to post a decisive victory. DRY MARTINI lost a late lead in an improved third-place finish, and he may have found a field he can beat to the early lead. COASTAL HIGHWAY had to overcome a poor start when finishing fourth behind a wire-to-wire winner in his debut, and typical second-out improvement makes him a contender.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

7 You're Killin Me;Quinonez;Hobby;5-1

2 Dry Martini;Stevens;Hobby;7-2

1 Coastal Highway;Santana;Asmussen;9-2

8 Hip Four O Four;Thompson;Gowan;6-1

6 Ripe;Prescott;Sims;5-1

4 El Mas Puro;Contreras;Lukas;4-1

5 Take Charge Easy;Eramia;Pish;12-1

3 Drastic;Cohen;Moquett;12-1

1a Daring Ego;Vazquez;Caster;9-2

9 Hard to Park;Laviolette;Cline;20-1

6 Purse $79,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, allowance

***MA'AM is moving into an entry-level allowance race after crushing $50,000 claimers at Churchill, and she has worked well over a wet track and drew a favorable two-turn post. SUGAR CUBE rallied from far back when second in a restricted stake at Gulfstream, and she is a 16-race winner who has been effective on wet tracks. CLEVER SERVE defeated conditioned-claimers by eight widening lengths at Churchill, while earning a Beyer figure that is faster than par for this category.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

1 Ma'am;De La Cruz;Cox;2-1

7 Sugar Cube;Contreras;Hiles;3-1

5 Clever Serve;Santana;Asmussen;4-1

8 Economies of Scale;Stevens;Stall;5-1

3 Secret Trick;Canchari;Lauer;12-1

6 Wholehearted;Hill;McPeek;10-1

4 Ski Tune;Quinonez;Irwin;15-1

2 Princess Drossie;Thompson;Sims;15-1

9 Essie's Reward;Vazquez;Prather;20-1

7 Purse $78,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, Arkansas-bred, maiden special weight

****FIREWATER ROCKET finished second behind an even-money winner, and nearly six lengths in front of the third-place finisher in her career debut, and the quick filly is adding blinkers and seems to hold a distinct talent advantage. DUTCH TREAT was beaten a neck in an open maiden-allowance route, and she is back in with state-bred rivals and should be flying late on the turn-back. SUPERSTAR BEA has finished in-the-money in 5 of 6 races on the main track, and the beaten post-time favorite is having blinkers removed.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

1 Firewater Rocket;Morales;Gorder;9-2

11 Dutch Treat;Vazquez;Van Meter;4-1

7 Superstar Bea;Loveberry;Robertson;7-2

10 Tedders Angel;Thompson;Dixon;9-2

9 Savedbyanangel;McMahon;Prather;10-1

12 More Monique;Felix;Mason;10-1

2 Rosemary Beach;Santana;Cates;6-1

5 Spunky Town;Pompell;Smith;12-1

8 Euro Me;Meche;Loy;20-1

3 She's too Cool;Quinonez;McKellar;30-1

4 River Goddess;Cohen;Martin;30-1

6 Frijolilla;Sanjur;Hornsby;30-1

8 Purse $79,500, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming

**FORT FORTITUDE is moving up an allowance condition after splashing his way to victory Jan. 27, and he possesses good early speed, is lightly raced and eligible to show more. GUNS LOADED was a winner at a similar condition just two races back, and he is dropping in class after taking on seven rivals in the King Cotton. AQUAMARINE has won 2 of 3 races on a wet track, and he finished second behind Guns Loaded in his first race at the meeting.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

3 Fort Fortitude;Contreras;Hartman;3-1

2 Guns Loaded;Vazquez;O'Neill;2-1

4 Aquamarine;Court;Lukas;8-1

1 Rapid Dial;Felix;Mason;4-1

5 Blame Will;Santana;Asmussen;10-1

8 Action Everyday;Hill;Danner;12-1

10 Mexico Memories;Prescott;Cox;15-1

7 The Red Dude;Cohen;Moquett;15-1

9 Conquest Wildcat;McMahon;Morse;15-1

6 President Elect;St Julien;Haran;20-1

9 Purse $30,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, maiden claiming $30,000

**TAYLOR'S SENSE was one-paced after consecutive runner-up finishes when making his local debut, but he is dropping into a maiden-claimer for the first time and switches to the leading rider. BOW READY made a mild rally in a sprint tuneup, and he has recorded two encouraging wet-track breezes and is bred to run at least this far. GENERAL SHERMAN finished a tired fourth after setting a fast-early pace, and late-runners did win three of the four route races on Jan. 27.

PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS

3 Taylor's Sense;Santana;Asmussen;9-5

4 Bow Ready;Stevens;Lukas;7-2

8 General Sherman;Birzer;Chleborad;6-1

9 Bo Tee;McMahon;Broberg;5-1

1 Strike Home;Wethey;Young;10-1

2 Thunder and Rain;Eramia;Hall;15-1

7 Handsome Harve;Cohen;Williamson;12-1

10 Reversaloffortune;Sanjur;Cristel;12-1

5 History Buff;Prescott;Kobiskie;20-1

6 Two Pair;De La Cruz;Swearingen;20-1

EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES

Vested Creek is an enticing price in the first race, so I'll play him and a couple others in the first leg of the double. The second may have a single in Stanza, but I'll add Excessive due to his big price. I like the chances of Far Out Kailee at solid odds in the fourth and will put him over 2 of 3 runners in an exacta bet.

Sports on 02/23/2018

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