Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mary Rampellini handicaps the Monday, February 16 racing card at Oaklawn Park, including her projected 1-2-3 finishers. Her best bet of the day comes from Race 11.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Conway (11th race)
Eleventh Race
1. Conway
2. Go Go Ro Ro
3. Mandatory Mission
CONWAY is back in the Arkansas-bred ranks after representing himself well against open foes. GO GO RO RO cuts back to one turn after showing speed around two, and that can be an effective move with a horse. MANDATORY MISSION fits with these.
Here are Mary’s thoughts on the other 10 races on Monday’s Oaklawn Park card.
First Race
1. Quick to Charm
2. Love Supreme
3. Lovely Words
Oaklawn puts on a special holiday card Monday and it features the return of Grade 2 winner Ewing in the Ozark Stakes. In the opener, QUICK TO CHARM shortens up some in distance and she’s put up her best Beyer Speed Figures at this six furlong trip. LOVE SUPREME makes her first start since November and brings consistent form and competitive Beyers to the table. LOVELY WORDS has natural speed.
Second Race
1. McKinzie’s Glory
2. With Kindness
3. Donita
MCKINZIE’S GLORY brings good two-turn experience to the table. As for the return to dirt, she’s run well on the main track in the past. She also draws what might prove to be a better post than WITH KINDNESS, who gets the 10-hole going a mile. This one has been facing steeper. DONITA is another going turf to dirt and she’s worked sharply at Oaklawn.
Third Race
1. Balls in Ur Court
2. Jet Pack
3. Blue Dazzler
BALLS IN UR COURT makes her first start on dirt after being based at Woodbine, where she regularly raced on the synthetic track. BALLS IN UR COURT shows some forward works over the local strip and is further appealing for her consistent nature. JET PACK enters in peak form, off back to back wins. Both have come at this distance at Oaklawn. BLUE DAZZLER has reason to move forward in her second start since September.
Fourth Race
1. Systemic Change
2. Sweetalkingbourbon
3. Mena
SYSTEMIC CHANGE seems like one who will make good use of the bit of added ground he picks up in this spot. SWEETALKINGBOURBON gives up recency to some of these, but closed out his campaign last year with two sharp wins and one of them came at this distance. MENA hooked Super Cruise last out and that one came back to run a big second in an overnight stakes at Oaklawn.
Fifth Race
1. Pearcy Road
2. Huckaby
3. Dawson James
PEARCY ROAD figures to be strong through the lane on the cutback to one turn. HUCKABY can be closer to the pace than top choice. DAWSON JAMES owns a series of competitive Beyer Speed Figures.
Sixth Race
1. Cobblestone Bridge
2. Ga Mo Tak
3. Huge Bigly
COBBLESTONE BRIDGE looks like a runner working his way back into the winner’s circle. GA MO TAK should be sharp for the move back to two turns off the sprint start. HUGE BIGLY is a nine-time winner.
Seventh Race
1. You Vee Cee
2. King Peanut
3. Natorade
YOU VEE CEE gives up recency to some of these as this marks his first start since September, but like that his last two wins have come over open foes and that he shows some sharp half-mile drills for his return. KING PEANUT figures to be strong through the lane on the cutback to one turn. NATORADE won at this distance last out at Oaklawn.
Eighth Race
1. The Warden
2. Anthonian
3. La Houligan
THE WARDEN shortens up a tad to a mile and he’s a winner at the configuration at Oaklawn. The race will end at the sixteenth pole, as with all mile races in Hot Springs. ANTHONIAN draws the widest post, but is appealing for his consistent nature. LA HOULIGAN has hooked some quality winners of late.
Ninth Race
1. Ewing
2. Oscar’s Hope
3. Dirty Rich
EWING is the class of the Ozark field as a Grade 2 winner. He has speed and a post that might give Torres options. OSCAR’S HOPE cuts back to one turn and is looking for him to be making his case in the later stages on account of the turnback. He might get a nice setup on account of the speed in this spot. DIRTY RICH is a stakes winner at the meet, and last out hooked Obliteration, who was to have run back in the Saudi Derby on Saturday.
Tenth Race
1. Dance Some Mo
2. Gun Runner Charlie
3. Faust
DANCE SOME MO was just edged by a quality winner last out in Super Cruise, who after their meeting finished a close second in an overnight stakes at Oaklawn. GUN RUNNER CHARLIE exits the same race as top choice and is back at a mile and his last win came at this distance. FAUST exits a quick overnight stakes won by a runner who returned to score again at Oaklawn. More than capable.r.
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