Pletcher pair looks strong in Oaklawn Handicap
Trainer Todd Pletcher holds a strong hand in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on Saturday as he will send out the two likely favorites in the 10-horse field, Race Day and Golden Lad.
Race Day comes into the 1 1/8-mile Handicap off a gutsy neck decision in the Razorback Handicap, his second victory in three starts since moving to the Pletcher barn after being purchased for $285,000 at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
Golden Lad, by design, has not raced since winning the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn on Feb. 14. He is 2 for 3 in Hot Springs, Ark., having won last year’s Razorback before finishing fifth in the Oaklawn Handicap.
John Velazquez will ride Race Day, and Mike Smith, who later on the card teams up with the Arkansas Derby favorite, American Pharoah, will be aboard Golden Lad.
The Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap is race 7 and is the first of four stakes on the card. The five-race sequence from races 7 to 11 also includes a 12-horse maiden race that makes the late pick threes and pick fours tricky.
While Race Day and Golden Lad are the horses to beat, there are upset possibilities. The Razorback Handicap was contested over a sealed track that was listed as “good,” and not everyone handled the conditions well. The track was downgraded to “sloppy” prior to the next race.
It would not be surprising to see Carve, who finished fourth at 3-1, or fifth-place finisher Tapiture, who was the second choice at 2-1, run much better over a fast track Saturday.
Another intriguing horse is the California-based longshot Sammy Mandeville. Trainer Doug O’Neill said an equipment change he made two starts ago has made a big difference with the 4-year-old, who is coming off a ridiculously easy first-level allowance score.
In his three starts for Pletcher, Race Day has scored a blowout optional-claiming win at Gulfstream Park, finished a determined third after encountering trouble in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper, and in the Razorback won a duel with Midnight Hawk that lasted seven-sixteenths of a mile.
“He’s relatively lightly raced, and he’s accomplished a lot in a short period of time for us,” Pletcher said. “I’m impressed with how he maintains his condition and sharpness.”
As for Golden Lad, Pletcher said, “We felt like his effort in this race last year may have been potentially compromised.”
Pletcher altered Golden Lad’s schedule this year to have him at his best for the Oaklawn Handicap.
“We thought we’d switch things up with him this year,” Pletcher said. “Last year, he ran well to win the Razorback, but we may have come back too soon with him in the Oaklawn Handicap. This year, we ran him in the Essex Handicap and then skipped the Razorback to give him more time before this race.”
Key contenders
Race Day (Last 3 Beyers: 106-104-109)
Now 4, he has started only seven times and appears to be getting better with each race.
In the Hooper, a one-turn mile, he was bounced around between horses after the start and was steadied between horses while crossing out of the chute and onto the main track. He has more natural speed than he showed that day when third, beaten a half-length by the talented miler Valid.
“It was good to see how hard he was trying and that he was able to overcome adversity like he did,” Pletcher said.
Golden Lad (Last 3 Beyers: 102-91-71)
He comes into this off an eight-week break and a nice work pattern at Palm Beach Downs.
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Tapiture (Last 3 Beyers: 88-105-100)
He was in a stalking position behind Race Day and Midnight Hawk when he dropped back several lengths nearing the far turn in the Razorback. He then was taken off the rail and tried to re-rally, but the loss of position hurt him.
Sammy Mandeville (Last 3 Beyers: 100-96-85)
He takes a huge class jump here off an entry-level allowance win, but that should be reflected in his odds, making him an appealing horse to use in exotics.
After a fourth-place finish in his 2015 debut, O’Neill added blinkers to his equipment.
“Putting the blinkers on has just completely turned this horse around and made him bring the a.m. performance to the p.m.,” O’Neill said. “This is a really tough field, but I think he fits with them.”
Carve (Last 3 Beyers: 92-106-87)
He was wide on the first turn of the Razorback and forced into a chaser’s role under difficult, wet conditions.
Hard Aces (Last 3 Beyers: 102-104-96)
After being purchased from the Fair Grounds stable of Larry Jones, he had been in trainer John Sadler’s barn less than two weeks when he finished fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap behind Shared Belief. He has every right to improve.