Rick Lee Oaklawn selections and analysis

FIRST POST — 12:30 P.M.

FILE — Horses and jockeys break from the starting gate at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs. (Democrat-Gazette file photo)
FILE — Horses and jockeys break from the starting gate at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs. (Democrat-Gazette file photo)

LEE’S LOCK Caddo River in the eighth

BEST BET Smarty’s Angel in the fourth

LONG SHOT Strolling in the fifth

* * * *confident choice

* * * plenty to like

* * things to like

*educated guess

1 Purse $22,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance

CLEAR THE MINE won four of his 11 races as a 7-year-old in 2020, and he holds a slight Beyer figure advantage. The pace should be quick enough to set up a late run. LOVETHATCAUSE has lost recent photo finishes at Delta and Remington Park, and the Karl Broberg trainee has tactical speed which appears a must-use in multi-horse wagers. RAVENS REFLECTION prompted the pace in a narrow loss at Delta Downs, and he likely needed the race after a layoff, and he does own a win at Oaklawn.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

4 Clear the Mine Vazquez Villafranco 9-2

6 Lovethatcause Cabrera Broberg 3-1

5 Ravens Reflection Mojica Martin 6-1

7 Galactica Cohen Diodoro 8-1

3 Strate Remark Bowen McKnight 2-1

2 Kristo Gonzalez Green 8-1

9 Calculated Risker De La Cruz Litfin 15-1

8 All Shacked Up Tohill Hartma 15-1

1 Come On Dover Hamilton Mason 15-1

2 Purse $22,500, 6 furlongs, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up which ave never won two races, claiming $10,000

LUCKY EVERY DAY has not raced since June, but she sports better than two months of sharp workouts. She fired fresh winning her career debut last winter at Remington Park. BLUEBIRD DAY disappointed in her first race on dirt at Churchill, but the beaten post-time favorite is dropping to the lowest price of her career. She races for winning trainer Robertino Diodoro for the first time. BEAUTY DAY finished second at a higher claiming price at Churchill, and she is back at a preferred distance after a dull two-turn allowance race.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

1 Lucky Every Day Cabrera Milligan 9-2

4 Bluebird Day Cohen Diodoro 5-1

10 Beauty Day Loveberry Villafranco 7-2

6 Competitive Fire Bowen Holthus 6-1

8 Zippy Chick Santana Asmussen 2-1

7 Justatapin Garcia Hornsby 10-1

2 Ms Falsetto Eramia Smith 15-1

9 Aunt Sunshine Talamo Deville 20-1

3 Tapalong Felix Manley 15-1

11 Warm Beauty Morales Rhea 30-1

5 Nanabanana Fletcher Williams 30-1

3 Purse $32,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races, claiming $30,000

*HANDY ships from Kentucky following two competitive races in stronger starter allowance races, and he drew a favorable two-turn post. The pace should be fast enough to set up his late charge. SHARECROPPER finished second as a post-time favorite at Churchill. He is taking a drop in price and figures near the lead throughout. CHANGE DIRECTION was forwardly placed in a useful third-place sprint finish at Hawthorne, and the class dropper is a proven two-turn runner.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

1 Handy Loveberry Vance 4-1

3 Sharecropper Geroux Maker 2-1

5 Change Direction Bowen Holthus 15-1

11 Wayne O Eramia D’Amato 12-1

9 First Rate Garcia Maker 5-1

6 Mau Mau Cohen Diodoro 6-1

4 Jacks Fire Balls Santana Van Berg 8-1

10 Davidic Line Cabrera Ortiz 20-1

2 Incorrigible Talamo Moquett 8-1

7 Big Biz Vazquez Villafranco 10-1

8 My Name Is Phred Morales Morse 20-1

4 Purse $82,000, 6 furlongs, fillies, 3-year-olds, Arkansas-bred, maiden special weight

SMARTY’S ANGEL contested a strong pace in a competitive debut at Keeneland, and the winner came back to win a stake. This filly drops into a comfortable field of state-bred fillies. FAST SOPHIA has been working well for a stable that wins with first-timers, and rider Ricardo Santana has always been the stable’s go-to rider. ARKANSAS BLING finished with energy in a third-place debut at Louisiana Downs, and the fresh runner has worked well at Oaklawn for a winning trainer-rider team.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

12 Smarty’s Angel Mojica Cates 7-2

11 Fast Sophia Santana Prather 8-1

8 Arkansas Bling Vazquez Broberg 5-2

14 Wicked Street Talamo Morse 10-1

7 Gold N Sexy Cabrera Chleborad 10-1

3 Rachie Rach Thompson Dixon 4-1

5 Hot Springs Bling Eramia Durham 12-1

1 Courtney Fay Borel Smith 20-1

9 Five Star Moon Tohill Martin 6-1

4 Cyber Sneaker Cohen Mason 10-1

13 My Dams Atitude Felix Puhl 5-1

6 Very Spicy Harr Fires 15-1

2 Feminine Allure De La Cruz McBride 20-1

10 Flat Out Gold Hamilton Hornsby 30-1

5 Purse $27,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $16,000

STROLLING closed his 2020 campaign last month with a decisive victory at Remington, and four of his seven career wins have been recorded at Oaklawn. He is also a strong finisher in a field with plenty of speed. CAVE RUN was a determined sprint winner at this same claiming price just two starts back at Churchill, and he exits a second-place allowance finish at Remington. KING OF THE COURT earned big Beyer figures in three consecutive wins at Canterbury. He has raced well at Oaklawn and is a logical threat if fit following a three-month freshening.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

12 Strolling Vazquez Villafranco 10-1

8 Cave Run Cabrera Broberg 8-1

9 King of the Court Garcia Diodoro 5-1

10 He’s Meant to Be Bowen McKnight 6-1

11 Believeinholidays Geroux Maker 5-2

13 Riverboat Gambler Loveberry Morey 10-1

6 Five O One Mojica Martin 12-1

4 Kowboy Karma Santana Asmussen 8-1

1 Tough Stuff Cohen Mason 3-1

2 Alexandros Camacho Vance 20-1

7 He’s No Bull Felix Puhl 10-1

3 Naughty Alfred Morales Garcia 30-1

5 May We All Hamilton Haran 30-1

14 He’s So Zazzy De La Cruz Martin 30-1

6 Purse $82,000, 1 mile, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight

*SAFFA’S DAY raced close to a fast pace when finishing fourth in the Springboard Mile at Remington, and he recorded a subsequent bullet 5-furlong work here Jan. 12. He is strictly the one to catch. SAQEEL was beaten a neck in a 9-furlong race at Churchill, and the late-runner appears improved around two turn. He is treated with Lasix for the first time. HE’SMYHONEYBADGER rallied to second in a career debut sprinting at Churchill, and the Brad Cox trainee is bred to carry his speed this far.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

7 Saffa’s Day Santana Asmussen 5-2

11 Saqeel Rocco Peitz 9-2

9 He’smyhoneybadger Geroux Cox 4-1

3 Windcracker Cabrera Amoss 6-1

8 Antigravity Cohen Hollendorfer 6-1

10 Silver Tap Talamo Asmussen 8-1

2 Wick FDe La Cruz Lukas 12-1

5 Captain Fantastic WDe La Cruz Puhich 15-1

6 Ardanwood Arieta Robertson 12-1

4 Tango Kilo Eramia Von Hemel 30-1

1 Major Chance Wales Fires 30-1

7 Purse $88,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, allowance optional claiming

*ENGAGE was beaten only 2 lengths in the Lafayette at Keeneland, and the runner-up came back to dominate the Grade I Cigar Mile. This classy veteran has trained smartly at Fair Grounds. TOUGH LOVE won a fast entry level allowance races last season at Oaklawn, and the consistent sprinter ships from Kentucky at the top of his game. RUBUS has earned a Beyer figure of 90-plus in four consecutive races, and his last two works produced bullets over this track.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

4 Engage Santana Asmussen 9-5

5 Tough Love Mojica Williamson 6-1

6 Rubus Cohen Bauer 7-2

9 Home Base Geroux Miller 5-1

3 Little Menace Talamo Asmussen 8-1

7 Mucho Cabrera Ortiz 10-1

2 Mojo Man Garcia DiVito 8-1

1 K J’s Nobility Borel Borel 15-1

8 Nuclear Option Vazquez Mason 15-1

8 The Smarty Jones. Purse $150,000, 1 mile, 3-year-olds

CADDO RIVER set a rapid pace and kept on running in a dominating 1-mile maiden win at Churchill. He has trained well in Hot Springs and may lead this field past every pole. COWAN finished a clear second in the $200,000 Springboard Mile at Remington, and he is experienced and battle tested in good company. MOONLITE STRIKE ships from Gulfstream riding a modest two-race winning streak. He has a two-turn pedigree and figures to show continued improvement.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

7 Caddo River Geroux Cox 5-2

3 Cowan Santana Asmussen 9-5

6 Moonlite Strike Talamo Joseph 4-1

4 Big Thorn Cabrera Asmussen 9-2

1 Martini Blu Arrieta Robertson 6-1

5 Hardly Swayed Garcia Hernandez 12-1

2 Lawlessness Cohen Mason 12-1

9 Purse $27,000, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance

RIVER ECHO has won five of his last six races at today’s distance, and he is capable of winning regardless of the pace of the race. FROST OR FRIPPERY has won 15 races over this past two seasons, and he exits a stake win at Gulfstream. He is talented enough to overcome an outside post. DONT TELL NOOBODY has won three consecutive races at a fast track, and the multiple restricted stake winner should be rallying behind an honest pace.

PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS

5 River Echo Cabrera Broberg 3-1

14 Frost Or Frippery Geroux Cox 2-1

12 Dont Tell Noobody Loveberry Villafranco 5-2

6 Charlie’sarchangel Talamo Morse 5-1

3 Uphold Hamilton Haran 6-1

1 Red Again Quinonez Shorter 10-1

13 Stephen’s Answer Cohen Diodoro 4-1

4 Bode’s Maker Cohen McKnight 8-1

2 Little No Way Arrieta Hollendorfer 15-1

7 Shweet Persuasion Mojica Broberg 12-1

10 Take Charge d’Oro Eramia Barkley 12-1

11 Coach Adams FDe La Cruz Compton 10-1

8 Bobby Baby Rocco Riecken 30-1

9 Revenio WDe La Cruz Zito 30-1

EXOTIC POSSIBILITIES

The third race starts a 50-cent Pick-3 and Handy, Sharecropper and Change Direction are horses to use. In the fourth, I like Fast Sophia and Smarty’s Angel. In the fifth, I’ll use Cave Run, King of the Court and Strolling. The seventh race offers another Pick-3 and Engage, Tough Love and Rubus are on my ticket. In the eighth only Cowan and Caddo River need to be on a ticket. Horses to use in the ninth include River Echo, Charlie’sarchangel, and Frost Or Frippery if he draws into the race.

Upcoming Events