Oaklawn Handicap a winnable race for Hard Aces

Among those likely to head the pari-mutuel market are Race Day (Tapit), who

eked out a narrow win in last month's Razorback H. (G3) for Todd Pletcher, and

Grade 2 veteran Tapiture (Tapit), a sub-par fifth in the Razorback after running

second in last fall's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) for Steve Asmussen.

Pletcher has another serious contender in Golden Lad (Medaglia d'Oro), who

took the 2014 Razorback and the this year's $100,000 Essex H. in commanding

style. The five-year-old disappointed in this race last year, finishing fifth to

champion Will Take Charge.

Another looking to rebound from a so-so effort in the Razorback is Carve

(First Samurai), an impressive winner of the $100,000 Fifth Season in his season

debut. The Grade 3 scorer was a solid third in last year's Oaklawn H.

Completing the field are local allowance winners Street Strategy (Street

Sense), Russellin (Old Fashioned), and For Greater Glory (Afleet Alex), stakes

winner Irish You Well (Broken Vow), and last-out Santa Anita allowance scorer

Sammy Mandeville (Rock Hard Ten).

The Arkansas Derby undercard also features $100,000

Northern

Spur for three-year-olds at one mile, and the $100,000

Instant

Racing for three-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

The Northern Spur features Hillbilly Royalty (Langfuhr), a dominating winner

of his first two starts who faded to fifth in the Rebel. Other leading

contenders include Holiday Man (Harlan's Holiday) and Poseidon's Way (Stormy

Atlantic), one-two in a recent allowance prep.

The undefeated Promise Me Silver (Silver City), who has won six in a row

including five stakes, is the marquee filly in the Instant Racing. Her main

rivals include Harbour Island (My Pal Charlie) and Indian Brava (Bernardini).

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