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Highlighting this Saturday’s betting schedule is a solid card of horse racing action at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. The featured race of the day is the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap for Thoroughbreds four and older.
Contested on the dirt track at Oaklawn covering 1 1/8 miles in total distance, the total prize purse for this race is set at $1 million. The field continues to take shape with nine horses listed as probable at Horse Racing Nation.
2022 Oaklawn Handicap Predictions
On Saturday’s undercard at Oaklawn is the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap with a matching $1 million in total prize money. The small field of five fillies and mares (four and older) is set with trainer Michael McCarthy’s Ce Ce penciled in as my favorite to win. Opening at 2-1 odds on the morning line, she will break from the No. 5 post with jockey Victor Espinoza getting the call.
Going back to the probable field for Saturday’s Oaklawn Handicap, the following are my top three picks to finish in the money.
When: Saturday, April 23rd 2022
Where: Oaklawn Park
Win: Rated R Superstar
Trained by Frederico Villafranco, this veteran nine-year old gelding continues to cash winners with four finishes in the money over his last six races. Five of those six races took place at Oaklawn to add some serious home track advantage to the Kodiak Kowboy sire.
He caught my eye for Saturday’s race with a victory in this year’s Grade 3 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn on March 19. Covering the 1 1/16 miles on dirt in 1:43.12, Rated R Superstar ran past Plainsman and Beau Luminarie in that race. The Kentucky-bred gelding started this year with a victory at Oaklawn in the ungraded Fifth Season Stakes at one mile on the dirt track.
Going back to a disappointing fade to eighth in last year’s Oaklawn Handicap, this veteran has been in excellent form in his ninth year to earn a solid 6.46 rating by HRN.
Place: Caddo River
I decided to go with this four-year old Kentucky-bred colt as my second choice but he could easily win this race given his current form. Trained by Brad Cox, the son of Hard Spun looked impressive his last time out at Oaklawn with a victory in a 1 1/16 miles Allowance Claimer on March 18. He covered that distance on dirt in 1:43.73.
Going back to 2020 as a juvenile, he has finished first or second in seven of his nine events. His racing resume includes a runner-up finish in last year’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn behind Super Stock.
Show: Idol
With the highest HRN rating in the projected field at 7.44, this five-year old Kentucky-bred horse would be my choice for third. Trainer Richard Baltas is expected to give Idol the green light to run in what would be his 2022 debut.
The last time the son of Curlin raced competitively, he slipped to sixth place in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita last October. His biggest career victory was in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6 of last year at 1 ¼ miles on the dirt.
