Santana launches meet aboard favored Torrent in Friday feature

Ricardo Santana Jr., the winner of the last four riding titles at Oaklawn, will have his first mounts of the meet Friday, including on probable favorite Torrent in the featured eighth race. Santana missed the first week of the season while serving a suspension for a local riding infraction from 2016.

Torrent is returning to the overnight ranks for a first-level optional $62,500 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies at a mile. She last raced Dec. 11 and was second in the $100,000 Trapeze at the same distance at Remington Park. For the effort, Torrent earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 72, the best last-race number in the 12-horse field Friday.

Ron Moquett trains Torrent, a daughter of Blame who races for the Arkansas-based Westrock Stables.

◗ Whitmore earned a career-high 102 Beyer for his win in an allowance sprint last Sunday at Oaklawn.