Weekend Winners Club

Saturday, April 15
Hot Springs, Ark
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It’s the biggest and last day of meet for Oaklawn Park today, as they will run 12 races, with 3 graded stakes, and culminating in the famous Trails End 14 furlong battle of attrition. The highlights of the day are the stakes races, including the G1 Oaklawn Handicap and G1 Arkansas Derby.

The Arkansas Derby is choc full of talent this year, containing 6 colts currently ranked in our top 24 Doug’s Double Derby Dozen. 5 of these need to finish somewhere in the top 4 because they are all currently outside of the top 20 in Kentucky Derby points.

Those needing in and already have some points but not enough, are Classic Empire, Petrov, Lookin at Lee, Sonneteer, and Untrapped. Any of these will get into a run for the roses with a 1st or 2nd place finish, and others need at least 3rd. Any of the 12 horses in the field would get in with a win, and others will need at least a 2nd place finish.

In fact, the only horse in the field with enough points already is current co-favorite Malagacy, looking strong after his stakes in which he beat all 5 of the others mentioned, away in the Rebel G2 here at Oaklawn last month, after Todd Pletcher was unsure whether he would even put him on the Triple Crown trail.

Malagacy rolls away in Rebel G2 March 18 to stamp Derby ticket in first route and stakes race

Co favorite Classic Empire is one of those on the bubble, making it probably the first time in modern history that the reigning 2yo champion doesn’t already have his spot in the Kentucky Derby secured before April. A 3rd place finish or better should stamp his entry ticket.

It shall be interesting. We’ll see what happens at Oaklawn today.
Download Saturday’s Oaklawn Grid including the Arkansas Derby.

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