Check out my Thursday (3-26-26) Oaklawn Park Race 8 analysis below.
OP 8 (Hot Springs, 8f) – Post Time 5:19 PM ET
Primary – #1 DESERT GATE
Secondary – #7 Soldier N Diplomat
Horse Comments:
#1 Desert Gate (6-5) ran well in all four starts last year. He pressed and scored as the chalk in his 5f bow. The 2-3 finishers from that heat were next-out winners, and this colt romped in the G3 Best Pal second time out. He finished a length behind his stablemate Brant in the G1 Del Mar Futurity but he had an uncomfortable trip and probably should have won that heat. He stretched out, dueled from the inside post, and held the place by a nose in a decent effort in the G1 American Pharoah Stakes October 2025. He was supposed to run in the BC Juvenile but had a hock infection and was forced to miss that event. It looked like he was the inside speed in his G3 Lewis return on Feb. 7 but he did not have a sharp start and ended up a disappointing 4th of 7 as the beaten chalk. He adds blinkers and drilled a 5f bullet for this March 14, and Flavien Prat is his new rider and he wins races with Bob Baffert. He should be all over the pace from the inside post and might be the one to catch.
#7 Soldier N Diplomat (8-1) stalked and scored by a neck in his sprint bow at SAR, and he was beaten a dozen lengths in the G1 Hopeful second time out. He dropped and cruised by 9 lengths as the favorite in a flat mile OC-100k/1x affair at CD in October, and he attended the pace and ended up 3rd of 9 in the G2 Ky Jockey Club in November. He was 7-1 in the Southwest Feb. 6 and he stalked wide from post 11 and just held the place. Last time, he was hung out to dry from the outside post in the G2 Rebel. This is a better spot and he looks like a miler.
Wagers:
#1 to win
Exacta 1-7
March 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
March 1 – Mysterious Husband/Call Me Sir/Sneaking Candy Trifecta ($77.80)
March 5 – Saudi Crown/Bendoog Exacta ($6.20)
March 8 – Track Tiger/Sammy Davis Exacta ($6.20)
March 11 – Accent/Rugelach Exacta ($15.00), Trifecta ($41.00)
March 18 – Dienekes/Up Country Exacta ($51.16)
March 20 – Rethink/Ou La La/Prestige Fungson Trifecta ($107.80)
March 22 – Uncle Evco ($4.60)
March 23 – Cornishman ($2.80)
March 24 – Vekoma Kid ($5.40)
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