Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs and Santa Anita took turns in recent weeks cornering the high-end Saturday market.
This time it’s Oaklawn Park.
The Arkansas track unfurls two excellent races, the $500,000 Essex (6:10 p.m. EDT) and the $200,000 Whitmore (5:04 EDT), highlighting a packed nationwide menu. Online bettors can access the action via TVG.
We’ll take a look at a few of the big races coming up this weekend. In addition, it wouldn’t be Friday without our “Bombs Away: Salute to Long Shots” review of a previous race that paid a bundle.
Bettors peruse a six-figure race package
Besides the two excellent races at Oaklawn Park, the industry also provides a few $100,000 events in the Saturday “Fectacular”:
- Aqueduct in New York features the Cicada.
- Florida’s Gulfstream Park is coming out big with the Any Limit, the Hutcheson and the Silks Run races.
- Over in California, Santa Anita runs the Irish O’Brien.
High-end bettors like purses large enough to command good horses, as owners aim their top prospects at weekend fields. In turn, this propels increased handle and better payoffs for the public because of large betting pools.
Oaklawn Park headliner produces rematch
The Essex is the race of the day, not only for the purse but for aesthetics. The favorites, Plainsman and Thomas Shelby, delivered an electrifying stretch duel in the Razorback last month over the same surface. Plainsman just held off Thomas Shelby, with Popular Kid coming third. All three major players are back in this race.
Thomas Shelby usually gets to the lead. The question is whether he will be compromised by another speed horse early.
This is a race in which bettors can hone in on the win and exacta combinations and perhaps try a couple of different trifecta boxes with Thomas Shelby and Plainsman on each ticket.
What is the Essex horse race?
For many bettors, this is a major payday on a race they may not have been familiar with. It was named to honor Essex Park, the former name of the track, destroyed by fire early in the 20th century.
In 1985, it was enhanced to a Grade 3 and later increased to 1 1/16 miles. The race lost its graded status in 2008 but, with the purse structure increase, was restored to a Grade 3 this year.
The Whitmore, meanwhile, will see a rematch between favored Bob’s Edge and Hollis, the initial co-favorites. Bob’s Edge clocked Hollis in an earlier race, taking advantage of a hot pace that ultimately compromised Hollis. These two are legitimate favorites, but there are others in the field of nine who could make some noise.
This is a good race too and it occurs at 5:04 p.m. EDT.
Leading trainers and jockeys at Oaklawn Park
Leading jockeys
By wins
Francisco Arrieta, 40
David Cabrera, 35
Ricardo Santana Jr., 35
By earnings
Santana Jr., $2,523,407
Arrieta, $2,261,983
Cabrera, $1,096,808
Leading trainers
By wins
Steven Asmussen, 28
Robertino Diodoro, 24
Brad Cox, 20
The $1 Million+ Club
Asmussen, $2,031,701
Cox, 1,884,229
Diodoro, 1,345,602
John Ortiz, 1,695,586
Gulfstream power hour
Check this three-bagger package from Gulfstream, with post times spanning 5:10 to 6:12 p.m. EDT.
First in this group is the Silks Run. It has a 10-horse field at five furlongs. One of the morning-line favorites is Chess Master, who won the Tampa Bay Turf Dash in February. He wired the field.
A major opponent is Yes, I Am Free, who has the advantage of prevailing on the Gulfstream Park turf, toppling 1-5 favorite Gear Jockey. At 8-1, he broke second and collared the leader in the homestretch and produced for a price.
Next up is the Hutcheson Stakes on dirt, at 5:42 p.m. EDT. It will measure the impact of a class drop. American Sanctuary comes off disappointing finishes in the Breeders Cup Juvenile in November, where he finished seventh.
That was a $2 million race. This one is for $100,000, and his two main competitors, Cattin and Provocateur, were beaten favorites at Tampa Bay in the Pasco Stakes last month. American Sanctuary has the on-paper edge, but he must switch to a sprint after getting slow breaks in his last two races. He’s also entered off a layoff. Interesting call for the bettors.
Rounding out the “triple” is a $35,000 Maiden Claiming event on turf at 1 1/16 miles. It has an 11-horse field, and no horse should be a short favorite. This race has the potential for substantial payoffs.
That leads to a similar situation as last Saturday. It was the last race at Tampa Bay, also on turf.
Bombs Away, our weekly salute to long shots
This was a real good one in the final race of the Saturday, March 12, card.
Get Serious triumphed at 23-1. Bali Belle was second at 3-1. Pure Country was third at 8-1 odds.
Point Well Taken completed the superfecta at 7-2 odds.
It paid more than one might think.
The $2 superfecta paid a whopping $26,905. That meant the 10-cent superfecta paid $2,690.
The $2 exacta paid $319.
The $1 trifecta returned $1,933.
Why it paid so well
Edye’s Candy, who drifted down to become the 2-1 favorite, suddenly pulled up around the far turn and slid from second place to off the board. Get Serious had not been taken seriously by the public, which let him go up from 10-1 morning line odds to 23-1.
How bettors may have nailed the 10-center:
Those who liked Bali Belle, at 3-1, could have keyed him with five other horses in the first and second spot, with the right combinations, for $12. By keying five horses with one’s favorite selection, there is the chance to put both favorites and long shots in with the keyed horse. It would have been logical for someone to include the favored Edye’s Candy in the mix and then benefit when the horse suddenly pulled up.
Because Get Serious was such a long price, the Bali Belle bettor was rooting for their horse not to win but to place second.
It all fell into place and paid extraordinary well.
