Rick Lee’s Oaklawn Park selections and analysis

FIRST POST — 1:05 P.M.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS 6-9 (66.7 percent) MEET 80-227 (35.2 percent)

LEE’S LOCK Mitole in the eighth

BEST BET Brave John in the second

LONG SHOT Freestyler in the first

*educated guess

**things to like

***plenty to like

****confident choice

1 Purse $42,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $30,000

**FREESTYLER was beaten two-lengths in his return from a freshening, and the classy veteran can handle a jump in class and has a strong record on a wet track. BAD STUDENT finished third on a sloppy track in a useful sprint tuneup, and he is back at a preferred distance and loves this track. HUNTER’S STRIKE finished determinedly defeating $20,000 rivals, and he won his only previous wet-track race last April at Prairie Meadows.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

6 Freestyler Santana Caldwell 5-1 5 Bad Student Thompson Vance 3-1 2 Hunter’s Strike Prescott Cox 7-2 3 Snickerboxer Vazquez Villafranco 9-2 4 Whole Lotta Luck Stevens Hobby 5-2 1 Handiwork Pompell Rouck 4-1

2 Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races, claiming $8,000

****BRAVE JOHN broke his maiden over a wet track in his career debut last winter at Oaklawn, and he is dropping in class for winning connections following a fast-closing second-place finish. NICKY NUMBERS raced well against better last season at Oaklawn, and he finished a close third at a higher claiming price Nov. 4 at Churchill. CHECKER CZECH is another who broke his maiden last season at Oaklawn, and he is adding blinkers for new and winning trainer Karl Broberg.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

7 Brave John Cohen Diodoro 5-1 5 Nicky Numbers McMahon Morse 5-1 2 Checker Czech Eramia Broberg 9-2 6 Bested Quinonez Von Hemel 4-1 4 Farley Garcia O’Neill 5-2 9 Honor Thy Father Prescott Puhl 12-1 8 Tipsy Suspect Birzer Roberts 15-1 1 Cash for the Soul Contreras Milligan 15-1 3 Bluebird Ridge Laviolette Smith 15-1

3 Purse $30,000, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $30,000

**GRACELAND showed improved early speed in a fifth-place return to the races, and she is dropping into a maiden-claimer for the first time. VALIANT LADY is a quick filly who was beaten only a head at Churchill, and she is dropping in price and may lead a very long way. SERIOUS I CANDY is a four-time beaten post-time favorite who does own three in-the-money finishes, and she is switching to leading rider Ricardo Santana.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

6 Graceland Rodriguez Van Meter 3-1 5 Valiant Lady Felix Mason 6-1 3 Serious I Candy Santana Moquett 7-2 4 Ithappenedinvegas Quinonez Von Hemel 9-2 2 She’sgotthebeat De La Cruz Sims 10-1 8 Promissory Note McMahon Mason 5-1 7 Nile Show Garcia Catalano 5-1 1 Hot and Ready Morales Ives 15-1

4 Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, $6,250

**DR. CLARK finished second at double the claiming price just two races back, and he was claimed by a sharp claiming stable who has wheeled him back at a level to win. MCQ was bet down to favoritism and did not disappoint in a determined victory, and he is back at the same claiming price and has proven wet track ability. CAN’T REMEMBER is back sprinting following seven route races, and he has competitive Beyer figures and he did win a turf-sprint showing versatility last summer at Lone Star.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

10 Dr. Clark Cohen Diodoro 5-2 3 McQ Eramia Loy 3-1 8 Can’t Remember Prescott Puhl 10-1 6 Chocolate Wildcat Gazader Caldwell 10-1 2 Hillbilly Royalty Santana Caldwell 10-1 7 Rippin Ranger Felix Mason 10-1 9 Battered Canchari Anderson 6-1 5 Sky Wonder De La Cruz DiVito 8-1 1 Concord Joe Court Milligan 12-1 4 Bud Ro McMahon Holthus 15-1

5 Purse $31,000, 6 furlongs, 3 and 4-year-olds which have never won two races, claiming $30,000

***MAHALO JOHN pressed an honest early pace before finishing third in his return from a six-month vacation, and he is taking a slight drop in class and has done his best running over a wet track. SEVEN FORTY SEVEN raced competitively in stronger races last season at Oaklawn, and the beaten favorite likely needed his last race and should contend. HUSKER RED has not raced since July, but he has a series of encouraging recent workouts and raced well in allowance company last season.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

8 Mahalo John Santana Asmussen 5-2 2 Seven Forty Seven Felix Mason 4-1 4 Husker Red Birzer Von Hemel 8-1 6 King Abner Contreras Hartman 3-1 7 Granian McMahon Morse 6-1 5 Bubbas Dixie Laviolette Von Hemel 10-1 3 Entertainer Cabrera Moquett 6-1 1 Prairie Chief Thompson Gleason 15-1

6 Purse $78,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight

***LIMATION was forwardly placed in a competitive third-place debut, and the beaten post-time favorite has a sharp wet-track gate workout and is likely to improve with a race over the track. SOARING BIRD finished second behind the morning line favorite in today’s Gazebo (Mitole) in an encouraging local debut, which did earn the field’s fastest Beyer figure. FLORIDA BOYS showed vastly improved early speed when second best in a $50,000 maiden-claimer, and his improving form and wet-track experience provides him a good chance.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

2 Limation Santana Asmussen 8-5 5 Soaring Bird Contreras Hobby 4-1 8 Florida Boys Canchari Morse 8-1 1 French Dancer Quinonez Von Hemel 12-1 3 Out of Hydeing Prescott Sims 10-1 4 Berko Court Lukas 8-1 7 Wisdom an War Cabrera Moquett 6-1 6 Mogowan Stevens Gowan 4-1

7 The Downthedustyroad Breeders’. Purse $100,000, 6 furlongs, Arkansas-bred, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

***MINISTRY has won 3 of 5 races at Oaklawn Park, including the 2017 Rainbow Miss, and she was sharp in winning an allowance tuneup Jan. 21. I BE JEANNIE B is unraced since March, but she appears to be the speed of the speed, and she just missed defeating open allowance rivals last season at Oaklawn. JERI BELLA contested the pace in a second-place finish behind the top selection, and she has finished no worse than second in three wet-track races.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

7 Ministry Pompell Gonzalez 9-5 10 I Be Jeannie B Vazquez Cates 8-1 8 Jeri Bella Loveberry Ashauer 6-1 9 Ms Fifty First St. Santana Stall 4-1 1 Easter Indy Thompson Martin 10-1 3 Fastanista Cabrera Martin 12-1 4 Avisionofchocolate Johnson Fires 10-1 5 Fetch’s Mon Court Fires 8-1 6 Miss Shelby Quinonez Witt 15-1 2 Aunt Gayle Stevens McKellar 20-1

8 The Gazebo. Purse $125,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds

****MITOLE scored a decisive 10-length maiden victory in a very fast clocking, and the rapidly improving sprinter appears to hold a clear talent advantage. BOURNE IN NIXA defeated allowance rivals in his final start in 2017 at Churchill, and he may not have cared for the tight turns when sixth last month in a stake at Delta Downs. DIRECT DIAL followed a stake-placed finish last summer at Belmont with a stake victory at Retama, and he possesses good early speed and picks up Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

3 Mitole Santana Asmussen 1-2 4 Bourne in Nixa Vazquez Margolis 9-2 2 Direct Dial Stevens Asmussen 5-1 5 Inge Cohen McKnight 12-1 1 Drc All Inclusive Cabrera Villafranco 10-1 6 Wild Caramelo Eramia Pish 15-1

9 Purse $21,000, 1 mile, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, maiden claiming $12,500

***BLOOM BABY was beaten a neck while five lengths clear of third in a front-running performance Feb. 8, and she is taking a slight drop for high percentage connections and will be a deserved favorite. TWO STEP DANCER wore blinkers for the first time and responded with a much improved second-place route finish, and she drew a favorable two-turn post. PASTICHE has been competitive in three previous route races, and she is wearing blinkers for the first time and keeps the leading rider.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

4 Bloom Baby De La Cruz Cox 9-5 1 Two Step Dancer Meche Von Hemel 9-2 5 Pastiche Santana Van Meter 8-1 3 Card Club Cabrera Lukas 5-1 8 Backside Belle Court Fires 10-1 10 Annie Time Girl Birzer Gleason 12-1 9 Woodhaven Diva Thompson Jacquot 15-1 7 Klassie Connect Morales Hiles 12-1 11 Sweet as Caroline McMahon Holthus 12-1 2 Trintrin Eramia Jackson 20-1 6 Wilburn’s Angel Quinonez Cline 20-1

EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES

The second race begins a Pick-3 and Brave John has the look of a single in this first leg. The third race has a solid filly in Graceland, but she is unproven on wet footing and others need to be used. The fourth race is pretty contentious and at least three need to be played to have a shot at covering the race. The final Pick-3 starts in the seventh and I need to play Ministry and I Be Jeannie B. The eighth race is a single for most in Mitole. The ninth race is doesn’t have much depth and two of three should get it done.

Upcoming Events