HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The are plenty of questions for the leading contenders in the featured ninth race Sunday at Oaklawn Park. Will Queen Mallard carry her speed around two turns? Can Lady Woopig overcome post 12? Does Principal Anita’s focus improve with blinkers on? These questions will be answered during the running of the first-level allowance for fillies and mares bred in Arkansas. The $125,000 race will be held over 1 1/16 miles and could produce starters for the $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ on April 30. Queen Mallard is moving to two turns for the first time after a series of sprints. She raced with the pace in most of them and figures to be prominent from post 10 under Keith Asmussen. Queen Mallard’s pedigree suggests she could be effective routing. She is a full sister to One Ten Stadium, who won the 2025 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship at 1 1/16 miles. The horses are both by the Tapit stallion Race Day and out of the El Corredor mare Trip Mom. William Sparks bred and races both Queen Mallard and One Ten Stadium, who are trained by Ron Moquett. The regular rider of both horses is Asmussen. :: Live racing action at Oaklawn Park! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Lady Woopig is saddled with a difficult post, but she has been effective from both on and off the pace, which should serve her cause Sunday. Depending on the break, jockey Alex Castillo might have the option of using her speed to secure position into the first turn or tucking in behind rivals and saving ground until it’s time to make her bid. Lady Woopig was second by a head against similar last out, winding up a length in front of third-place finisher Principal Anita. Allen Milligan trains Lady Woopig for Harry Huson. Principal Anita raced with blinkers earlier in her career, and while the equipment did not yield a win, most of the starts were in sprints and she has proven to be a better horse around two turns. The equipment change Sunday could help jockey Francisco Arrieta put her closer to the pace than she has been racing in her starts this meet. Arrieta has the mount from post 5 for co-owner and trainer Tammy Hornsby. Laura Juels and Hornsby own Principal Anita, a daughter of Mark Valeski and the Big Brown mare Rita Ann. Others of interest in the field include Y City, who is seeking to become the fourth next-out winner to emerge from a first-level allowance sprint Feb. 28 at Oaklawn. She is moving back to two turns. The last time she raced at the configuration, she won a maiden race at Fair Grounds. Walter De La Cruz has the mount for trainer Juan Sanchez. Street Painter is back in the Arkansas-bred ranks after finishing second in a ratings handicap March 20 at Oaklawn. Cristian Torres has the mount for trainer Aaron Shorter. Gold Strategy could be tough to contain if she runs back to the Beyer Speed Figure of 89 she earned for a two-turn win in August at Monmouth Park. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.