Oaklawn Park Full Card Analysis – Friday, 12/19/25 – By Eric Solomon

The second week of the Oaklawn Park meet begins with a 10 race, Friday afternoon card. They’ve carded a stakes race for every day of the Holiday Portion of this meet and the Silks Overnight Stakes is on the docket for today. That race is for three year old sprinters looking for their first stakes win. First post is set for 12:30 (CDT). 

I’ll be covering this exciting meet on the ITM Blog, along with posting some updates and thoughts from time to time on Twitter @EricSolomon718. Feel free to reach out!

Race 1:

Eight fillies will start the day in a one mile maiden special weight. Seven of the eight runners are three years old with the lone four year old, Baby Avery (#8) starting in the outside stall. When looking at the competition that these fillies have been facing, I think it’s fair to say that Delicious Diva (#7) has been consistently facing the best horses. She cut back to a one turn mile at Churchill last out and didn’t have the best trip. Her two turn efforts were better though, including a nice effort at Keeneland two back where she finished behind a pair of next out winners. McPeek’s horses ran very well on Opening Weekend and this looks like a good spot for that trend to continue. The logical backup here is Pronghorn (#4), who is one of two horses racing for the Asmussen barn. She faced some of the horses that Delicious Diva was seeing in her last start at Churchill. That effort was much better than her debut at the Fair Grounds last winter, which was not as sharp. While McPeek’s horses thrived, Asmussen’s runners struggled early on, as only one of his 14 runners got their picture taken. The dam was a talented graded stakes winning mare, scoring in the 2020 Santa Ysabel Stakes. Her other foal to race just broke her maiden in a $30K maiden claiming contest at Remington. 

Race 2: 

Two year olds will sprint six furlongs here in this $30K maiden claiming contest. I’m having some trouble reconciling the last start from Phantom Slayer (#2), who starts off as the 8-5 morning line favorite. He ran okay in a $150K maiden claiming at Keeneland where he debuted at 21-1. He finished 4th, beaten less than three lengths behind a horse that came back to win a N1X allowance race at Churchill in convincing fashion, while going off at 16-1. He came back to try a salty open maiden special weight field where he was sent off at 52-1 odds. He was never involved, finishing last of 12 without ever really picking up his feet. The steep drop in class is telling, as he’s entered for a tag that is $150K lower than his April 2025 purchase price. He has had wide trips while breaking from post 12 in both of those races, so breaking near the rail will be a change. His debut was strong enough to use him as a backup, but I’ll try some others here that might offer better value. Onyx Outlaw (#4) has two starts, both of which came in two turn races at Churchill at Churchill. While neither start has been good, he was very wide last out when facing $50K maiden claimers, which certainly didn’t help his cause. The dam has produced several runners, with the most notable being Zanotti, who was a stakes winner and graded stakes placed in dirt route races. John Ortiz trains this son of Independence Hall and he’s done well with horses going from routes to sprints, winning with 20% of those runners over the last five years. He scored with an Independence Hall horse going from a route to a sprint at Finger Lakes last month. Dreamofyou (#5) also debuted in a two turn race, and he showed improvement while cutting back to six furlongs when facing a decent field for this condition at Keeneland in his last try. The second and third place finishers of that race came back to win. One of those runners, War Munny, was a winner here last weekend. Abel Cedillo had a nice weekend, winning with two of eight starters and he’ll get the assignment for Randy Morse. 

Race 3:

We’ll turn the page to a $10K beaten claiming race for fillies and mares going one mile. This race is limited to horses that have either never won three times or have not won a race in the last six months. Sunny Isle Beach (#4) is a two time winner on this course that is dropping in class today. She was a winner in open $12,500 claiming back in May at Churchill, which was her last victory. She struggled when facing better in her previous two starts at Colonial and Keeneland. There have been some recent gaps in her running lines as she has gotten older, so I don’t think she’s the same mare that she was back in the spring of 2024. However, I don’t think she has to be that horse to beat this field. What’s to Do (#11) is an interesting longshot in this spot. She became eligible for this condition today as her last win came ecstasy six months ago in a similar spot on the dirt at Horseshoe Indianapolis. She ran okay in two turf races at Hawthorne following that score and was last seen finishing second in a beaten $15K claiming race there which was originally carded for the turf. That was an interesting race as she stumbled significantly coming out of the gate. She spotted the field several lengths while lingering near the back of the pack. She began to get rolling, but had to take up on the backside before coming with a sustained, wide bid. She flattened out a but while the dominating winner began to pull away, but she was able to hold on for second after a fairly miserable journey. The apprentice rider is going to have to work out a trip from a wide draw, which is always a little dicey. However, I like her current form and I think she’s a sneaky horse in this race. While I wonder about the distance for Bee a Queen (#7), there are some things to like about this three year old filly. She is shipping here from Gulfstream after a pair of dull efforts against better fields. She was very sharp three though and she’s been competitive at seven furlongs. The two turn mile is a different game and her two tries at two turns earlier in her career weren’t very good. Trainer Sarah Shaffer had a nice winner here last weekend and she’s taken over as the trainer of record for this daughter of Khozan. 

Race 4:

The first alliance contest of the day is an optional $125K claiming/conditional allowance race for horses that have never won $24K more than three times in their careers. When he’s right, Minnesota Ready (#1) is the best horse in this race. He’s been on the sidelines since struggling in the Speightstown Sprint at Lone Star on a sealed and sloppy course back in May. While he’s capable on an off track, he’s done his best work on fast dirt tracks, winning that race back in 2024. He’s gone toe to toe with some sharp sprinters and he’s held his own. Amoss brings him back after boasting some sharp works over at the Fair Grounds. They have a nice series of races over there and a strong effort here would likely set him up for some of those stakes races at the beginning of 2026. Thoughtthatcounts (#8) is the backup for me in this spot. He’s coming here after a strong effort to win when going a one turn mile at Churchill in an optional claiming/N2X allowance race. He has done very well in five tries at this six furlong distance, winning three times and finishing second in the other two starts. 

Race 5: 

Arkansas breds will sprint six furlongs in this $10K claiming race. 9 of the 13 horses in this field are making their first starts in over three months (8 of 12 in the body of the field). The recent form of the runners that have been competing more consistently isn’t the greatest, making this race quite the handicapping puzzle. While I don’t the layoff after the claim, Chez Whiz (#1) makes a lot of sense in this spot. He was claimed by Ronnie Cravens, who was his trainer of record when he raced here during the 23-24 season. He broke his maiden for this barn and his best effort came when finishing third in the Rainbow Stakes, which is a state bred stakes sprint for three year olds. Michael Hewitt was his most recent trainer and he was in decent form for him during his last five starts. Cravens has good numbers first off the claim and good numbers with horses coming off the bench. He does have a recent winner who was claimed and then given a similar kind of layoff. He is a coupled entry with Jack’s Spring Break (#1a), who is on the AE list. If he does draw in, That one is also making his first start off the claim for a common ownership group, however, Allen Milligan is his trainer of record. I won’t mind having him covered if he competes, but at this distance, I’m not going out of my way to use him should Chez Whiz defect. Allo Enry (#8) has earned four of nine career victories on this oval. He had a productive summer at Prairie Meadows, but he struggled in his last start at Remington. Ingrid Mason takes over as the trainer of this Goldsboro gelding. Only a Dream (#5) is also worth considering in this spot. He debuted on the dirt, which wasn’t a terrible effort, but his last eight starts have all come on the turf. He appears to have missed the entire 2024-25 meet here with an injury, but he came back competitive on the turf at Louisiana Downs. The added distance and the surface are definite question marks, but this is not the deepest group.

Race 6:

The Late Pick-5 begins with a $25K starter allowance race going six furlongs. The only qualifier for this contest is that a horse must have started at least one time for a $25K claiming tag or less since the start of 2023. The favorite in this spot is Uncashed (#3), who is definitely a cool horse. This is his 24th career start at his 15th different race track. He is a proven winner, scoring in 11 of those 23 starts, with seven of those victories coming at this six furlong distance. One thing that does worry me though is that he has never won a race where he doesn’t make the early lead. He’s a fast horse who is generally good from the gate, so it’s not easy to see why he’s won so many times. He’s also 4-4 on the dirt at Saratoga, Keeneland, and Churchill, so when he does travel to the best circuits, he is well-spotted in those races. There are good speed horses to his inside and outside though, so even if he can shake free early, I think he’s going to have to work hard on a course that has been testing thus far. He’s worth using in the multi-race wagers, because he’s got a great record and he generally runs faster races than most of his opponents. However, on top, I’m going to side with Ghost of Midnight (#10). We’ve seen some California shippers come here and run well thus far at this meet. After nearing beating The Chosen Vron in the Grade 3 San Carlos Stakes in 2024, he went to the sidelines for 17 months before resurfacing this summer at Del Mar. He hasn’t quite been as sharp as he was since the layoff, however, he did score two starts back in an optional claiming/N1X allowance race at Santa Anita in October. He was claimed for $50K out of that race and he came back at that level when drawing the rail in a 13 horse at that condition on Breeders’ Cup Day last month. He broke last and was forced to try to pass them all , while getting a less than ideal trip. I think that effort to get into 5th on a course that was generally kinder to horses near the front end, is better than it looks on paper. I think he’s a gets a favorable pace scenario here while drawing an outside post, which should be more advantageous to him. I think he has a good shot to score here. 

Race 7: 

An overflow field of Arkansas breds will go six furlongs in this $20K N2L claiming contest. I landed on Time Andbeyond (#2) in this wide-open affair. He was improving here last spring while racing for Ron Moquett. He broke his maiden with $50K state bred maiden claimers in March before finishing off the board in an above average state bred allowance race in April. After that, he was moved to another barn where he struggled in Texas and Oklahoma. He has since been reunited with Moquett who brings him back to the site of all of his best efforts. He’s been freshened for two months and I think we’ll see a positive effort from him in a spot where there are many question marks. Razorback Army (#10) ended last season on a high note, scoring in a state bred $20K maiden claiming race back in April. She’s been sidelined since then and Thomas Van Berg chose this spot for his return to the races. He’s an Army Mule gelding who took a little while to figure things out. If he can run back to that last effort while making his first start in nearly eight months, he’s going to be competitive in this field. Azteca Warrior (#9) was last seen embarrassing a field of $10K maiden claimers at the Jersey Shore back in July. Dan Ward claimed him out of that race and he’s been away since. Prior to that score, he faced some tough horses in open maiden allowance company at Monmouth. While he couldn’t hang with those runners, he was probably better than a $10K maiden claimer. I like the move by Ward to ship him here and take advantage of the state bred conditions. He might need a start before we see his best, but I think he’s another one worth using in this race. 

Race 8:

The $3 Get Out Pick-3 wager begins with an optional $62,500 claiming/N2X allowance race for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs. I’m not sold on the morning line favorite, Amalfi Drive (#1) in this spot. I like the pedigree and I can’t say anything bad about her first two starts at Delaware and Colonial last year. She’s been away for over 16 months, but she’s been working well for her return. My concern is that she’s drawn the rail in a large field for her first start back. She’s facing more opponents today (10) than she’s beaten in those two starts combined (7). She has some speed, but is likely going to be committed to send as there are three or four others drawn outside of her that are likely going to be trying to make the front end. Maybe she’s really good and none of this matters, but to win this race she’s going to have to be really good and I suspect it’s more likely that she’s not going to be good enough to hang with some of these. Miss Martini (#6) is an interesting case here for Steve Asmussen. She was very good in her three races at this distance on this course last year. She won an overnight stakes race here on Arkansas Derby Day, where she stalked in midpack behind a strong early tempo and then  finished stronger than her rivals. I’m willing to forgive her dull effort when going two turns in open stakes company two back. I’m also okay to look past her dull effort in the Lesie’s Lady Stakes at Churchill in her most recent effort when going seven furlongs against a much better group. Pretty Layla (#4) could be a part of the speed puzzle in this race, but she’s also proven that she can stalk when needed. Like the top pick, she was sharp when going one turn here last season, but her numbers fell off a cliff after leaving here in the spring. She has not been a factor in her last four tries, however, none of those four races came on a fast main track. She’s been routing on the turf in her last two starts, so perhaps those efforts will help her stamina in the late stages of this sprint. On deeper tickets I’ll backup with Ervadean (#3) and Practicallyelusive (#7). Both of these ladies could be a part of the early pace. Ervadean was a horse that I touted as a best bet at Keeneland two back while competing at this level. She ran a big race, but could quite hold on in the last few strides. She fits on figures for sure, but she hasn’t been to the Winner’s Circle since New Year’s Eve in 2023. Practicallyelusive doesn’t have that problem, as she’s won 8 of her 13 career starts and has only finished off the board one time in that span. She is getting a class test for sure in this race, as her best work has been conducted in Ohio. I like that her regular rider, Chelsey Keiser, is making the trip to ride this four year old filly.

Race 9, The $135K Silks Overnight Stakes:

The featured race of the day is for three year olds that have never won a stakes race, sprinting six furlongs. On paper, there’s a lot to like about Divine Justice (#2), however, I do have a big concern. He was recently sold for $200K at the Keeneland November Sale, however, he was entered in that sale coming off a strong maiden score. Furthermore, he initially cost $325K when he was purchased by his original owners back in 2023. While there could be a perfectly logical explanation for all of this, as a handicapper, I feel it comes off as a red flag. I think the Iowa bred, Amorosa (#6) is an intriguing player in this race. He’s cleaned up in state bred races at Prairie Meadows, winning 7 of 11 career starts. He ventured outside the Hawkeye State for the first time when going to New Mexico for the Zia Park Derby. While he finished off the board in that race, he certainly didn’t embarrass himself while facing a fairly salty field. There is a good amount of speed signed up for this race, so he should be able to sit a nice stalking trip. While most of his recent races have been at two turns, he had strong efforts at this distance earlier in his career. That feels notable because the two horses I see as major threats, Kalahari Dreams (#3) and U Devil You (#4), are a combined 0-6 at six furlongs. Kalahari Dreams has finished second in his last two starts when going off as the favorite. He was in contention in both starts but was second best on both occasions. His N1X win at 6 ½ furlongs at Saratoga three back was excellent though. If that horse shows up here, he’s going to have his picture taken. However, four second place finishes at this distance makes me wonder if he’s going to be at his best at six furlongs. U Devil You also boasts a strong N1X score three starts ago when going 6 ½ furlongs. That race came at Ellis in August, and much like Kalahari Dreams, his last two starts at Churchill weren’t as sharp. Kalahari Dreams was two lengths better than him when they squared off on 11/8

Race 10: 

The day ends with a $12,500-$10,500 N3L claiming race going 1 1/16 miles. An overflow field of 14 entered in this race, where only a maximum of 12 will compete. While the majority of the public money is going to be focused on Tranche (#4) and Tiz Wicked Strong (#5), I think this a good spot for Bettera (#2) to pull off a mild upset. He’s dropping in class and getting some significant post relief after a pair of wide trips in his last two starts. He ran well enough here last season and was claimed at the end of the meet. Armando Hernandez brought him to Hawthorne where he had a nice run with three strong efforts. He scored three back in N1X company there, which earned him a trip to Keeneland to try starter allowance company. He was wide throughout that afternoon, finishing a dull 6th. He tried a tough allowance race on the turf in his last try back in Illinois where he covered a ton of extra ground once again. He has tactical speed and he could wind up on the early lead in a race that is lacking a true frontrunner. Assuming he breaks well from the gate, he figures to have a pace advantage over the shorter prices. On his best day, that edge would be huge as I don’t think the talent deficit matches the morning line odds differential. Tranche is the logical backup, shipping here from Southern California for Adam Kitchingman. He broke his maiden in a stakes race in his third start during his two year old season. He tried two more stakes races before going to the sidelines. He came back and since then, he’s faltered 12 times in N1X company at various tracks and surfaces on the West Coast. He fits on figures and is getting significant class relief. The fact that it’s been so long since his last win is still concerning. I’ll use him, but I think there’s definite vulnerability. 

2025-26 Meet Statistics

Top Pick Winners: 5/30 (16.7%, $34.40 $1.15 ROI)