Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mary Rampellini handicaps the Thursday, March 5 racing card at Oaklawn Park, including her projected 1-2-3 finishers. Her best bet of the day comes from Race 7.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Saudi Crown (7th race)
Seventh Race
1. Saudi Crown
2. Bendoog
3. Cooke Creek
SAUDI CROWN is set to launch his season and is the class of a nice field here as a Grade 1 winner of $3.4M. The race he exits has become a key one, with both the runner-up and the fourth-place finisher, Tumbarumba, returning in their next starts to win Ellis Park stakes with respective Beyer Speed Figures of 97 and 93. This one is proven over the strip at Oaklawn. BENDOOG is a Group 1-placed runner who also exits a key race. The winner came back to take the Queens County at Aqu with a Beyer of 101 and the third-place finisher, an allowance at Prx, with a Beyer of 96. BENDOOG is from a Grade 3-winning mare who ran out $349K. COOKE CREEK is a two-time stakes winner who owns some strong recent Beyer Speed Figures. His dam was a Grade 3 winner of $457K. GUN PARTY is from a Grade 1-winning mare who banked $1.4M.
Here are Mary’s thoughts on the other eight races on Thursday’s Oaklawn Park card.
First Race
1. King Peanut
2. Al’s Romeo
3. String Theory
The card on Thursday drew Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown as well as a horse who, through at least Friday, owns the year’s highest Beyer Speed Figure. In the opener, KING PEANUT is a logical choice as he was second at this level last out, and the race went in good time. AL’S ROMEO also exits a quick race, and he’s back in the overnight ranks here after facing stakes foes. He will add a set of blinkers in what is a high percentage equipment move for Stuart, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form. STRING THEORY is back with Arkansas-breds. He was a winner the last time he faced such foes.
Second Race
1. Awol
2. Bolt’s Treasure
3. Cliffs of Dover
AWOL lost all chance shortly after the start last out, but put in a long, sustained run to reach contention in a valiant effort. BOLT’S TREASURE is a consistent sort who was second last out to a runner who won right back. CLIFFS OF DOVER invades from Fair Grounds, where he has moved forward with each of his starts.
Third Race
1. Right On Right On
2. Track Ranger
3. Rebelious
RIGHT ON RIGHT ON is appealing from a class standpoint as one who has seen steeper. TRACK RANGER is back at the distance of his last win. The race he exits has become a key one, with the runner-up coming back to take a $4K starter allowance at DeD with a Beyer of 82 and the fifth-place finisher, a $15K claimer at DeD, with a Beyer of 74. REBELIOUS might be sitting on a peak effort in the third start of his form cycle.
Fourth Race
1. Mr. Goodtime
2. Wilburton
3. Palmer Beach
MR. GOODTIME has speed and a post that might give Cabrera options. WILBURTON is appealing for the racing experience he brings to the table. PALMER BEACH showed good speed on the cutback to one turn last out, while another of interest is A WILD POSSE.
Fifth Race
1. Stradale
2. Swung
3. Chad Allan
STRADALE was stakes-placed last out in a quick race at Churchill Downs and before that saw Grade 1 action in New York. The newly-turned 3-year-old will be first Lasix. SWUNG has represented himself well against a pair of quality winners this meet, finishing second to Obliteration and third to Oscar’s Hope in separate stakes at Oaklawn. CHAD ALLAN exits the Ozark, which went in good time. ZEUS’S ECHO is a half-brother to main track sprint stakes winner Hillerito ($390K).
Sixth Race
1. Rockin Robin
2. Dare Greatly
3. Cognizant
ROCKIN ROBIN is well-versed at the mile and a sixteenth trip and earlier in the meet was second to Search Party, who returned in her next start to win the Martha Washington at Oaklawn. The winner of the race DARE GREATLY exits was to have run back Sunday at Oaklawn in the Honeybee. COGNIZANT is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Disarm ($1.6M). QUALITY AMI is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Kopion ($1M), Prince of Wales winner Amis Gizmo ($800K), and Grade 3 winner Ami’s Flatter ($536K).
Eighth Race
1. Stiglets
2. Second I D
3. Vital Mind
STIGLETS, through at least Friday, held the distinction of owning the highest Beyer Speed Figure put up so far in 2026. He earned the number, a 107, last out for an allowance win and has been flattered with the runner-up coming back to take an N1X at OP with a Beyer of 92 and the seventh-place finisher, a $35K optional claimer at OP, with a Beyer of 87. SECOND I D was just edged by a quality kind of winner last out and is further appealing as one who is stakes-placed. VITAL MIND was second to top choice two back, and is a well-bred sort as his dam was a multiple Grade 1 winner of $1.1M.
Ninth Race
1. Willy Cuts
2. Taken On the Run
3. Mr Fahrenheit
WILLY CUTS was favored at a similar level last out and ran a credible second in what was his two-turn debut. He would seem to have reason to move forward. TAKEN ON THE RUN moves to two turns with a nice foundation of starts under his belt and some nice stamina influences on the top side of his pedigree. MR FAHRENHEIT is another stretching out, and he’s very interesting as his dam is by stamina source Pine Bluff. Old school.
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