Post time 1 p.m.
LEE'S LOCK Silver State in the sixth
BEST BET Twilight Blue in the seventh
LONG SHOT Bamalama in the fifth
* * * *confident choice
* * * plenty to like
* * things to like
*educated guess
1 Purse $22,500, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up which have never won two races, claiming $10,000
ALEX'S STRIKE has not raced since May, but he raced competitively against better in 2020 and has a series of encouraging workouts. YAMANO MAKER returns fresh for trainer Steve Asmussen, and the lightly raced 6-year-old may be the controlling speed. ROGALLO has finished in the money in three consecutive races, and the beaten post-time favorite is taking a slight drop in price.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
4 Alex's Strike;Cabrera;Matthews;5-1
1 Yamano Maker;Santana;Asmussen;8-1
8 Rogallo;Cohen;Diodoro;4-1
5 Its My Bag Baby;FDe La Cruz;Cox;5-2
14 Irish Spirit;Morales;Garcia;3-1
2 Cowboy Tuff;Hamilton;Mason;15-1
9 Tick Tack Mo;Mojica;Gladd;20-1
10 Tough Company;Eramia;Smith;15-1
11 Chitto;Loveberry;Martin;6-1
6 Church of Many;Arrieta;Hollendorfer;9-2
7 Stash the Cash;WDe La Cruz;McBride;20-1
13 Boo Reid;Morales;Haran;30-1
3 Hamazing Song;Hisby;Gonzalez;30-1
12 Hesluck;Felix;Rhea;30-1
2 Purse $27,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $16,000
*RARE FORM was a clear winner at this claiming price in his last race at Churchill, and he was claimed by high percentage connections. He is strictly the one to catch. PICKFORD defeated $20,000 claimers four races back at Churchill Downs, and he ships to Hot Springs following consecutive second-place finishes. KNIGHT'S CROSS finished 2020 with a determined win at this claiming price at CD, and he picks up a leading rider and figures near the lead throughout.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
7 Rare Form;Cohen;Diodoro;5-2
6 Pickford;FDe La Cruz;Puhl;8-1
3 Knight's Cross;Geroux;Van Berg;6-1
12 Lookin for Eight;Talamo;Morse;4-1
10 Ego;Loveberry;Chleborad;12-1
9 California Swing;Vazquez;Garcia;10-1
11 Shweet Persuasion;Cabrera;Broberg;8-1
4 Epic;Mojica;Martin;9-2
2 Potomac;Santana;Asmussen;10-1
5 Gambler's Fallacy;Arrieta;DiVito;30-1
8 Driven to Compete;Eramia;Contreras;15-1
1 Majestic John's;Morales;Haran;30-1
3 Purse $24,000, 5 1/2 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $10,000
*GREELEY AND BEN has been consistently good having won two of three races since moved to the barn of trainer John Ortiz, and he is spotted to win in a lesser $10,000 claimer. BITUMEN is dropping to the lowest claiming price of his career for top connections, and he benefits from a recent race at Delta Downs. ALL STAR RED is taking a slight drop following a third-place finish at Monmouth, and he was claimed by a winning stable. Local works have been sharp.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
4 Greeley and Ben;Tohill;Ortiz;3-1
11 Bitumen;Cohen;Diodoro;5-2
6 All Star Red;Morales;Hollendorfer;9-2
8 One for Richie;Arrieta;Contreras;20-1
1 Please the Court;Vazquez;Gladd;20-1
9 Wake Up Joe;Cabrera;Broberg;10-1
12 Ghostly Who;WDe La Cruz;Puhl;10-1
5 Ace Destroyer;Camacho;Garcia;12-1
3 Hubbadahubbadaboom;Mojica;Martin;6-1
2 Mine My Time;Felix;Riecken;30-1
7 Recount;Loveberry;Martin;10-1
10 Easter Music;Gonzalez;Rengstorf;30-1
4 Purse $50,000, 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $50,000
JALEN JOURNEY contested an honest pace defeating $40,000 rivals at Churchill. The multiple graded stake-placed veteran loves to win and is spotted to repeat. EASY SHOT is a consistently competitive two-turn runner who is training well at Oaklawn, and he has finished second in all three of his previous tries at this sprint distance. CHAMPAGNEONME finished third at this claiming price at Del Mar, and the pace figures fast enough to set up his late run.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
6 Jalen Journey;Santana;Asmussen;2-1
9 Easy Shot;Cabrera;Barkley;8-1
7 Champagneonme;Talamo;Sadler;3-1
5 Gordy Florida;Eramia;Smith;4-1
4 Town Champ;Felix;Compton;15-1
3 Thomas Shelby;Cohen;Diodoro;5-1
2 Impressed;Geroux;Mason;10-1
8 Awesome Gent;Garcia;Moysey;10-1
1 I'm Corfu;Rocco;Vanden Berg;30-1
5 Purse $82,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
BAMALAMA showed excellent speed in three consecutive works in December at Churchill, and his sire was an unbeaten multiple stake winner. OUTASITE has lost a late lead in both races as a juvenile at Churchill. He is cutting back in distance and is treated with Lasix for the first time. MACRON pressed the early pace in a second-place finish at Churchill. He recorded a sharp local five-furlong breeze Jan. 10, and he is also on Lasix for the first time.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
1 Bamalama;Mojica;Williamson;12-1
4 Outasite;Geroux;Cox;7-2
3 Macron;Santana;Asmussen;7-2
5 Stilleto Boy;FDe La Cruz;Anderson;8-1
12 Name Rejected;Garcia;DiVito;9-2
2 Test of Will;Talamo;Jones;8-1
9 King of the Nite;Vazquez;Diodoro;8-1
6 Devil's Tower;Rocco;Ortiz;15-1
7 Ram;Court;Lukas;20-1
11 Heartbreaker;Eramia;D'Amato;20-1
10 Street Toll;Arrieta;Hollendorfer;20-1
8 Big in the City;Morales;Litfin;20-1
14 Lazaretto;Cohen;Joseph;15-1
13 Cronus;Cabrera;Barkley;15-1
6 The Fifth Season. Purse $150,000, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up
SILVER STATE has been dominant in consecutive allowance sprint races in Kentucky, and a case can be made the multiple graded stake-placed colt is better around two turns. NIGHT OPS won three of four races after finishing third in the 2020 Fifth Season, but he could be a tad vulnerable in his first race since July. COMBATANT has been a little inconsistent, but he did win the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap last March.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
4 Silver State;Santana;Asmussen;3-1
1 Night Ops;Garcia;Cox;2-1
7 Combatant;Talamo;Sadler;5-2
5 Hunka Burning Love;Cabrera;Broberg;6-1
6 Nifty;Tohill;Hartman;15-1
3 Pioneer Spirit;Cohen;5-1
2 Full Authority;Rocco;Fires;15-1
7 Purse $84,000, 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds, allowance
TWILIGHT BLUE raced close to a rapid pace when finishing third in the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds, and he is strictly the one to beat in this entry-level allowance. SWIFTSURE was pressured through brisk fractions before kicking clear in an encouraging debut win at Fair Grounds, and he is bred top and bottom to be a terrific sprinter. CAUSEWAY JONES showed good early speed in a 7-length career debut victory last month at Remington, and he is a contender with any kind of improvement for new and winning connections.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
5 Twilight Blue;Cabrera;Sharp;7-2
7 Swiftsure;Santana;Asmussen;3-1
8 Causeway Jones;Garcia;Hollendorfer;10-1
6 Bob's Edge;Thompson;Jones;6-1
11 Joe Frazier;Geroux;Cox;8-1
10 Oncoming Train;FDe La Cruz;DiVito;6-1
1 Sir Wellington;Arrieta;Robertson;8-1
4 Lock Up;Court;Lukas;15-1
9 Sound the Charge;Rocco;Von Hemel;10-1
3 Eurochippygolfer;Loveberry;Villafranco;15-1
2 Lawlessness;Cohen;Mason;12-1
8 The Pippin. Purse $150,000, 1 mile, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up
ISTAN COUNCIL was likely best when beaten a head in the Shes All In at Remington, and she is very consistent in races at 1 mile or over. OUR SUPER FREAK was winless in five races last season, but she raced exclusively in graded stake races, while earning Beyer figures that make her a big threat. WICKED WHISPER won the Grade I Frizette at this distance as a juvenile, and she finally returns to a route distance after sprinting and winning a graded stake in 2020.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
6 Istan Council;Talamo;Jones;7-2
12 Our Super Freak;Cohen;DeVaux;6-1
7 Wicked Whisper;Santana;Asmussen;3-1
1 Vault;Geroux;Cox;6-1
9 Regal Beauty;Garcia;Calhoun;8-1
5 Chance to Shine;Tohill;Hartman;10-1
3 Getridofwhatailesu;Rocco;Cox;6-1
2 Figure It Out;Arrieta;Amoss;12-1
11 Graysonsmacho Gal;Vazquez;Ortiz;15-1
10 His Glory;Cabrera;Sharp;12-1
8 Blessed Again;Thompson;Prather;30-1
4 Sara Sea;FDe La Cruz;Lukas;30-1
9 Purse $82,000, 6 furlongs, fillies, 3-year-olds, maiden special weight
*CATALAN was bet down to 3-1 odds in her debut on the strength of a fast gate work at Keeneland, but she had trouble at the break and never got involved. Her subsequent works have been solid and she has a license to show much more. MARION FRANCIS set the pace in a second-place debut at Churchill. The Brad Cox trainee is treated with Lasix for the first time and likely goes favored. SHES GOT IT rallied to second as a 9-1 outsider in her first race at Churchill, and horses trained by Wayne Catalano typically show marked improvement in a second race.
PP HORSE;JOCKEY;TRAINER;ODDS
9 Catalan;Vazquez;Ortiz;20-1
3 Marion Francis;Geroux;Cox;3-1
8 Shes Got It;WDe La Cruz;Catalano;10-1
12 Princess Lea;Cabrera;Sharp;6-1
11 La Pulcinela;Santana;Asmussen;4-1
14 Trumpet Lilly;Arrieta;6-1
1 Windmill;Talamo;Jones;10-1
4 Force of Nature;Garcia;Calhoun;10-1
6 Gravitron;Cohen;Hollendorfer;8-1
7 Grace's Secret;Bowen;Puhich;5-1
13 Call Krystal;Tohill;Von Hemel;4-1
2 Miss Tulsa;Eramia;Von Hemel;12-1
10 Seeking Honor;Thompson;Prather;20-1
5 Church Service;Harr;Cline;30-1
Exotic possibilities
The first race offers a daily double and I like front-runner Yamano Maker and Alex's Strike. In the second race Pickford and Rare Form appear to be best. The sixth race begins a 50-cent Pick-4 and Night Ops and Silver State are must-use horses. The seventh race can be covered well by playing Twilight Blue and Swiftsure. The eighth race is highly contentious, and I recommend going at least five deep. The ninth has an obvious contender in Marion Francis, and a long shot I like in Catalan.