HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Crupper has outrun his odds most of his career and will be looking to do more of the same Saturday when he starts as a live longshot in the $200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The 1 1/8-mile race carries a berth into the Preakness. It is being run on the undercard of the Grade 2, $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap that drew last year’s Preakness winner, Journalism. The Bathhouse Row is one of two 3-year-old stakes on the card, alongside the $200,000 Valley of the Vapors for 3-year-old fillies in which the favorite could be Sticker Shock. Crupper is 20-1 on the morning line for the Bathhouse Row, which drew a field of eight that includes Western Warrior, who is unbeaten in three starts at the meet, and recent allowance winners Honey’s To Blame and Khon Han. But the double-digit odds mean little to Crupper, a Triple Crown-nominated son of Candy Ride and the late millionaire racemare She’s All In. He was 107-1 in his career debut and ran sixth in the field of 12. Crupper moved to two turns one start later and was third in a maiden special weight at Oaklawn at 13-1 and in more recent times won an Oaklawn maiden special weight route at 16-1. Crupper was 15-1 last out when third in a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles here Feb. 28. :: Live racing action at Oaklawn Park! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. The distance of the Bathhouse Row should serve Crupper’s cause Saturday. “We liked the distance,” said Donnie Von Hemel, who trains Crupper for his breeder, Robert Zoellner. “I think him and his family have shown an aptitude for longer races. “He’s a decent-sized horse. I think he’s still maturing. I don’t think he’s a finished horse or anything yet, but I think he’s kind of like the rest of his bunch, like next year is going to better than this year. But we wanted to give him a shot in one of these stakes – and especially at a mile and an eighth – and see how things go.” Junior Alvarado, who is in town to ride 2025 Horse of the Year Sovereignty in the Oaklawn Handicap, has the mount on Crupper from post 7. “I think forward is the best place for him,” Von Hemel said. “We’ve got a decent run to the first turn, so get him out and on his way and see what happens after that.” Crupper’s dam was a Grade 3 winner who earned $1.1 million. Overall, she was an eight-time stakes winner and she has produced a multiple stakes winner in She’s All Wolfe, who earned more than $750,000. Von Hemel has trained the family and sees resemblances in Crupper. “A few things,” he said. “Some of the characteristics that she had and some of the best foals have had are there.” Crupper is named for Keith Crupper of Whispering Oaks Farm in Kentucky. It’s where Crupper, the horse, was foaled and raised, Von Hemel said. Western Warrior won his maiden and a pair of $50,000 starter allowances this meet at Oaklawn. He is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens. Ramon Vazquez has the mount from post 2 for trainer Mark Casse. Khon Han, who aside from Crupper, is the only other Triple Crown nominee in the field, won a first-level allowance at Tampa Bay Downs in his last start and was flattered when the fourth- and sixth-place finishers from the race both came back to win first-level allowances at Tampa in their next starts. Khon Han was making his first start of the year in the January allowance. Last year, he was second in the Proud Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Valley of the Vapors Sticker Shock, who was one of the top choices in the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn, could go favored against seven others in the one-mile Valley of the Vapors. Sticker Shock was fourth in the Fantasy, behind winner Counting Stars and runner-up Search Party, both of whom are now being pointed to the Kentucky Oaks. Sticker Shock has natural speed and could be somewhat prominent Saturday when she breaks from post 6 under Irad Ortiz Jr., who is in town to ride White Abarrio in the Oaklawn Handicap. Trainer Kenny McPeek will counter with Spitfire, Holly’s Holiday, and Miss Call. Spitfire and Miss Call are stakes-placed runners, while Holly’s Holiday is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Velocity. Grace Is Free won the Mockingbird Stakes earlier in the meet at Oaklawn, and Knickleandime will get good support off a dominant allowance win here in March. The Bathhouse Row goes as the sixth race on a 12-race card. The Valley of the Vapors is slotted as the ninth race. First post is 12:45 p.m. Central. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.