The Green Sheet had a solid day at Laurel Park in Maryland on February 18, as my top selection in the Barbara Fritchie (G2)–High Ridge Road ($8.20)–won and By The Moon completed a cold $19.40 exacta. In the General George (G3), top pick Stallwalkin’ Dude was bet down to even-money but ran a good race to be second to Imperial Hint, who covered seven-furlongs in 1:21 flat, a tick off track-record time. Boxing my top two selections in the race yielded a $20.40 return on exacta wagers.
I’ll take a look at a pair of races at Oaklawn Park–the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) and the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3)–on their President’s Day card. With a high-percentage of rain in the Hot Springs, Arkansas area for Monday afternoon coupled with a nasty line of thunderstorms currently on radar heading toward Oaklawn, it’s a safe bet that at least part of today’s card will be contested in “sloppy” conditions.
With the weather forecast in mind, I’ll try to beat heavily favored Gun Runner (4-5 morning line odds), who has never hit the board over a “sloppy” racetrack, in the Razorback (G3) with Southern California invader Blue Tone, who was game in soupy conditions to win the San Gabriel (G3) at Santa Anita back in January. Uncontested, who bounded to a five and a quarter length win in the slop in the Smarty Jones Stakes last month, will be tough to handle at a short price in the Southwest Stakes (G3).
The top black type races in the country this weekend will be held at Fair Grounds. As such, I’ll dissect four graded stakes races–the $125,000 Mineshaft Handicap (G3), the $125,000 Fair Grounds Handicap (G3) on the turf, the $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2)–on the New Orleans, Louisiana racetrack’s Saturday program.
For FREE selections and analysis for the President’s Day card at Oaklawn Park, click HERE .