Oaklawn Park Picks: Exulting could rebound in Race 8

Another week of racing at Oaklawn Park wraps up on Sunday with a strong 10-race program. Ever vigilant in his coverage of Oaklawn, our in-house handicapper is on the case with picks for the whole card and select analysis of the races.

If you're looking for picks elsewhere around the country on Sunday, be sure to check out our Free Horse Racing Picks via the gold button below.

Most Likely Winner:  Sweet Tatum (Race 1) - This mare has always detested wet tracks, so the fact she won last out on a muddy surface tells you everything you need to know about the claim by Robertino Diodoro. Surging at yet another Oaklawn meet, Diodoro has completely revitalized this 7-year-old, and with no rain in the forecast she should get her preferred dry track, though either way it probably doesn’t matter as the speedy Sweet Tatum should make it two in a row here.

Best Value:  Exulting (Race 8) - This isn’t a particularly soft spot, but I’m hoping Mike Maker can wake up Exulting off the claim as he’s had little chance to make an impact in his two most recent races going six furlongs. Maker formerly had this horse in fine form, and together they even won a stakes race at Oaklawn two years ago. Exulting is in questionable condition at the moment, but he should benefit tremendously from the stretch-out in distance, and if Maker can stir the echoes with him he can upset this field at a generous price.

Other Races of Interest:  Race 5 - At first blush Heritage Park’s (#10) runaway win last out appears to be a fluke, however upon closer examination I’m not so sure that’s the case. It’s true he entered the race off some dreadful performances and looked like an outsider in that spot, but I believe his sudden improvement can be attributed to the addition of blinkers. With blinkers added Heritage Park broke on top and never looked back, waltzing to a 3 ¼-length score. This horse ran a couple strong races at last year’s Oaklawn meet, so I’m betting he can keep the momentum going following the equipment change.

Race 10 - If Marion Francis (#6) is going to be favored in this spot, as the morning line suggests, then there should definitely be value elsewhere. Marion Francis is an OK filly, however judging by her last race, in which she made an early move to the lead before fading in the stretch, it’s pretty apparent that she’d benefit from a cutback in distance. The vulnerability of Marion Francis should set up Turfway shipper Sundial (#10) to be an overlay. This filly hasn’t exactly distinguished herself through two starts on the synthetic surface at Turfway, but that should change on Sunday when she tries dirt for the first time. Sundial is bred strongly for the surface and should show far more speed than she did last time when she had early trouble.

*If you're interested in seeing payouts for these races, you can find them on our Results page linked to below*