The undercard at Oaklawn Park on Saturday features some interesting names, with the in-form Cezanne taking on G1 fourth Fulsome in the G3 Oaklawn Mile, and last year’s runner-up Frank’s Rockette bidding to go one better against just five rivals in the ungraded Carousel.
Oaklawn Mile
The inaugural running of the Oaklawn Mile as a Graded stakes has been rewarded with a quality field for Saturday’s contest.
The morning-line choice is Cezanne, who has won at today’s distance but has recently been sprinting, notably last time out in the G2 San Carlos over seven furlongs at Santa Anita, where he beat overmatched rivals at odds-on. That was his second start after a nine-month layoff and he should be on top of his game today.
That may not be the case for Fulsome , coming back off a six-month break after running fourth behind Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon in the mile-eighth G1 Pennsylvania Derby. This is substantial class relief and the cut back in distance might be an advantage on his reappearance.
Necker Island won an allowance optional claimer over course and distance last time – Mo Mosa fourth, beaten three and a quarter lengths – but is only one-for-13 in stakes and probably needs an easier spot, while Runnin’ Ray makes his stakes debut after winning a similar race, also over course and distance, and won’t find it so easy to wire the field now he’s up in grade.
In 2019 Roadster won the G1 Santa Anita Derby, but has since lost ten straight and has had training issues, while Silver Prospector is on a seven-race losing streak, but ran well enough when runner-up to subsequent G2 winner Olympiad in the G3 Mineshaft at the Fair Grounds to suggest that his time might not be too far away.
| Horse | Jockey | Horse Racing Odds courtesy of JazzSports |
| Runnin’ Ray | Martin Garcia | +900 |
| Mo Mosa | Ramon A. Vazquez | +2000 |
| Market Analysis | Luis Contreras | +1300 |
| Cezanne | Flavien Prat | +175 |
| Roadster | Francisco Arrieta | +550 |
| Silver Prospector | Jose Lezcano | +850 |
| Dark Vader | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | +1300 |
| Fulsome | Florent Geroux | +550 |
| Necker Island | Mitchell Murrill | +750 |
| Law Professor | John R. Velazquez | +700 |
Our Oaklawn Mile Betting Prediction:
CEZANNE returns to a mile after a good win in a G2 over seven furlongs, has a speed advantage over his main rival and should be cherry-ripe on his third start after a long layoff.
Carousel Stakes
Class is a potent weapon and Frank’s Rockette outranks her Carousel rivals on that score as she looks for compensation for a narrow defeat in this race 12 months ago.
On that occasion she was beaten three-quarters of a length by Edgeway, who has gone on to win two G3s and run second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, with Wildwood’s Beauty six and a half lengths further back in fourth. Frank’s Rockette has plenty of fine form above this level – two G2 wins and one G3 – and has hit the board in her three starts at Oaklawn, all in stakes.
Acting Out won for the first time in more than a year when pipping Joy’s Rocket by a neck in an allowance optional claimer over course and distance three weeks ago, with Lil’ Tootsie a half-length away in third place. However, Acting Out is now 7lb worse with Joy’s Rocket and 9lb worse with Lil’ Tootsie, so the placed horses have every right to flip the form. Novel Squall also won an allowance optional claimer over course and distance last time out – Wildwood’s Beauty fifth – but is conceding 7lb to the first three in the betting.
Our Carousel Stakes Top Choice
FRANK’S ROCKETTE has a clear class advantage this time and is a straightforward choice to go one better.
| Horse | Jockey | Horse Racing Odds courtesy of JazzSports |
| Wildwood’s Beauty | Francisco Arrieta | +850 |
| Frank’s Rockette | Flavien Prat | +150 |
| Novel Squall | David Cabrera | +600 |
| Acting Out | Martin Garcia | +500 |
| Li’l Tootsie | James Graham | +325 |
| Joy’s Rocket | Jose Lezcano | +300 |
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