DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Saturday, March 16, 2024
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Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.
1:00 OP 1st Oaklawn puts on its Hall of Fame Day event Saturday, and members Asmussen, Lukas and Mott will be active on the card with starters. In the opener, BIG SWEDE (#1, 4-1) returns to the straight claiming ranks after facing starter foes and the last time he ran for a tag he was a winner - at Santa Anita. – Mary Rampellini
1:50 AQU 2nd SHOOPTHEREITIS (#6, 4-1) earned a competitive figure when just behind SHIGEKO over this track and trip last October; improved again when winning her next start around two turns; tried cutting back off the claim last time and wound up getting shuffled back at a key point, before finishing gamely to gain back late ground; can handle the added ground and drew well on the outside. – Mike Beer
2:37 GP 4th STICKY MCSHNICKENS (#4, 8-1) well backed at first asking but broke a bit tardy, got hung wide throughout while also in some traffic in early stretch. Dons shades, Paco stays. One more chance. – Mike Welsch
4:45 OP 8th COUNT IT ALL JOY (#9, 5-1) returns to the overnight ranks and as such will be back on Lasix after racing without the diuretic in stakes protocols. – Mary Rampellini
5:02 AQU 8th SIX PERCENT (#9, 8-1) has proven to be effective over a variety of distances and has run well twice recently while cutting back sharply; owns an adaptable running style and can factor at a fair price vs. this field if able to get back close to his top form off the claim for Rudy. – Mike Beer
5:06 GP 9th HEIR TO THE ROAR (#3, 10-1) a shaky nod amongst a hard to gauge and very familiar bunch with trip again likely the determining factor of the final outcome of this one. Barn in a slump at the meet perhaps the reason for this sharp class drop hoping to get things rolling back in right direction with a victory today while returning to preferred surface off failed try on dirt. – Mike Welsch
6:36 GP 12th BETTER BET (#1, 7-2) is a DRF Best Bet (Mike Welsch).
8:08 SA 9th Notwithstanding a murky pace scenario, late-runner LAHAINA FLAVOR (#7, 4-1) is the tepid choice in this N2L starter turf mile. He flew late last out, running his final three-eighths in :35.07 to miss by less than a length. That was a mile and one-eighth; he broke his maiden last summer at Del Mar at this one-mile turf distance. Maybe he can mow these down. – Brad Free