Check out my Monday (2-3-25) Oaklawn Park Race 8 analysis below.
OP 8 (Alw-130k/2L, 4&up, 1 1/8 miles dirt) – Post Time 5:14 PM ET
Primary – #1 BEDARD
Secondary – #9 Mischelof, #6 King Russell, #4 Ultimate Strike
Horse Comments:
#1 Bedard (9-5) lost his first six starts on all-weather and turf. He switched to dirt and rallied for the show in the Prince of Wales at 1 3/16 miles at Fort Erie in September. He returned to the maiden ranks in a dirt route at Keeneland in October and he wired the field, and the runner-up was a next-out winner. Brad Cox is his new trainer and he should be forwardly placed from the inside post.
#9 Mischelof (4-1) is a first time gelding and his new trainer Peter Miller is 6-for-21 at Oaklawn. The 1-for-26 gelding stretches back out and he hit the board on ten occasions, and Ramon Vazquez is 4-for-9 with this outfit.
#6 King Russell (3-1) is 1-for-18 overall and he has not won a race since February 2023. He is 1-for-9 with five runner-up finishes at Oaklawn and 0-for-4 with two runner-up finishes at 1 1/8 miles. One of his place finishes at this distance was in the G1 Arkansas Derby in 2023.
#4 Ultimate Strike (6-1) is in good form. He stalked, opened up, and missed by a neck at this distance in a $20k maiden claimer at Keeneland Oct. 16. He picked up his first win in a $40k maiden claiming dirt route in the slop at Churchill Nov. 14, and missed by a neck in a clear runner-up finish in a local claiming $55k/2L dirt route Dec. 22. He is getting faster and might be able to hit the board in this tougher race.
Wagers:
Exacta box 1-9
Trifecta key 1/6-9
Superfecta key 1/4-6-9
Superfecta 1/4-6-9/4-6-9/all
Superfecta 1/4-6-9/all/4-6-9
Superfecta 1/all/4-6-9/4-6-9
Recent Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
Jan. 20 – Firenze Flavor ($5.40)
Jan. 26 – Mega Moon ($3.20), Exacta ($18.20), Trifecta ($80.40)
Jan. 27 – Relampago Verde ($12.80)
Jan. 28 – Veeson ($13.20), Exacta ($34.20)
Feb. 1 – El Potente ($5.00), Exacta ($14.80)
Please visit The Runaway Horse Shop to purchase my Santa Anita Park full cards.
