It’s another light Saturday in of tracks that will actually be up and running, but there’s a very big caveat to that. There are a number of quality races on tap, including one of the key stops on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Let’s take a look.
Arkansas Derby 1
There’s even more interest than normal in the Arkansas Derby this time around, and the same applies among eligible participants. Host track Oaklawn Park has responded to the demand by splitting up the field into a pair of big races.
There will be two runnings of the Arkansas Derby on Saturday’s card, both of which will be run under the same parameters: $500k purse, 1 1/8 miles on a dirt track for 11 starters. Here’s the field for both races along with morning line odds.
Race 11 – 5:29PM ET
1- Charlatan, 1-1
2- My Friends Beer, 20-1
3- Mo Mosa, 30-1
4- Gouverneur Morris, 9-2
5- Jungle Runner, 30-1
6- Shooters Shoot, 8-1
7- Wrecking Crew, 20-1
8- Anneau d’Or, 6-1
9- Winning Impression, 15-1
10- Crypto Cash, 20-1
11- Basin, 8-1
Arkansas Derby 2
Race 13 – 6:43 PM ET
1- Finnick the Fierce, 15-1
2- Saratogian, 50-1
3- Storm the Court, 6-1
4- King Guillermo, 3-1
5- Nadal, 5-2
6- Code Runner, 50-1
7- Silver Prospector, 10-1
8- Fast Enough, 12-1
9- Taishan, 15-1
10- Farmington Road, 12-1
11- Wells Bayou, 7-2
Other Saturday Stakes
In between the two editions of the Arkansas at Oaklawn is what looks like another stellar race. Here are the details on that one.
$600,000 Oaklawn Handicap
Race 12, 6:04 PM ET
1 1/8 Miles on Dirt Track
14 Starters
Gulfstream Park also has a trio of stakes races on tap for the latter portion of the Saturday card. Here’s what you need to know.
$75,000 Honey Ryder Stakes
Race 9, 4:53 PM ET
1 1/16 Miles on Turf
15 Starters
$100,000 Big Drama Stakes
Race 10, 5:25 PM ET
7 Furlongs on Dirt Track
8 Starters
$75,000 English Channel Stakes
Race 11, 5:57 PM ET
1 1/16 Miles on Turf
13 Starters
Last but not least, there’s also a pair of big races on the Quarter Horse circuit to keep in mind as you get set for the weekend.
$35,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap
Race 9 at 9:44 PM PT
350 Yards on Dirt Track
7 Starters
$68,000 Leo Stakes
Race 9 at 9:35 PM ET
400 Yards on Dirt Track
12 Starters
The Full Docket for Saturday
On paper, this is one of the best Saturday’s of action we’ve had in a few weeks. Here are the full details and highlights for all five tracks scheduled to be running on the first Saturday in May.
Gulfstream Park
12-Race Card
First Post at 12:45 PM ET
Stakes – Race 9 through 11
Los Alamitos
9-Race Card
First Post at 6 PM ET
Stakes – Race 9
Oaklawn Park
14-Race Card
First Post at 12 PM ET
Stakes – Race 11 through 13
Remington Park
10-Race Card
First Post at 6 PM ET
Stakes – Race 9
Tampa Bay
9-Race Card
First Post at 12:20 PM ET
$17.7k Claiming – Race 9
Carryovers to Watch
There’s also a pair of carryover pools to keep an eye on for Saturday. The two tracks below will both be running on Friday, so keep that in mind. Here’s the current size for both.
$528,481 Gulfstream Park Pick 6
$21,019 Tampa bay Downs Pick 6
If either of the pools are hit by a lone bettor, then that lucky person will be in line for an outstanding weekend. When there’s a situation in which numerous s correctly pick all six winners, then a portion of the pool is paid out to winning tickets while the remainder carries over.
Add it all up, and we have a good deal to look forward to. While it’s not what we normally have on tap for the first Saturday in May, there’s still some quality races to get excited about. Enjoy the weekend and best of luck!
