Sentimental Journey, Plus Some Fifth Seasoning
The Fifth Season is the feature at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, but the race I'm most excited about is Race 7, a Maiden 68K for 3-year-old fillies. I'll be rooting for Fuhriously Kissed, daughter of Langfuhr by French Kiss. What a great name, for starters.
This is a sentimental pick. I've long been following the line of horses owner Anita Cauley started with her broodmare Ornate. She is the dam of French Kiss and also the millionaire and Oaklawn Grade I winner On Fire Baby. For once, let's not talk about the sires. My second post Jan. 8 was about another daughter in this line, Treasure Box, who won a thriller maiden before an injury essentially forced her retirement.
French Kiss didn't tear it up on the track, but she danced some big dances and was up against the likes of Eight Belles and Pure Clan in her 3-year-old year.
Another filly by French Kiss, 4-year-old Purr, has been working at Oaklawn since December.
Fuhriously Kissed fits well in this field, and she's one of three entered with two-turn experience. She closed well after being bumped/bothered at the start of her debut at Churchill when she was a far-back fifth. So if she gets a smoother trip, who knows? She might not be my top pick if I didn't follow her family line. But I do.
I have betting rules. Never fail to bet the horse you really want to win. You can sit it out and just cheer, but then your friends will have to listen to you complain that you didn't bet your horse. Don't do it.
With that said, my take on the competition in this 12-horse field:
1. Conquest Ms Curlin. She's by Curlin, obvs. Exits a key race at Woodbine and add blinkers. First on dirt is an angle I like. Lots changing here, which can be good.
4. Beach Walk. Early speed/class speed could carry her to a win in her first shot at two turns. As a rabbit trail, I looked up her dam, Bonnie Blue Flag, who I remember because she was second to one of my favorites, Champagne d'Oro, in the 2010 Test Stakes at Belmont. Beach Walk is the spendy filly here, a $435,000 purchase. Not that that guarantees anything.
5. Adore. Highest speed figure in the field in her debut. “Bold bid” is the comment and Ricardo Santana still riding. A bold bid today could win this.
11. Calamity Jane. Another with two-turn experience, closer, who is only a maiden by a neck (2nd and 3rd). Highest speed figure is on turf. Hm.
I don't know what I'll do come post time, because I'll be watching live today. Fuhriously Kissed for sure. Tough call, but my next pick is probably Beach Walk. At a longer distance, I might choose differently. Calamity Jane and Adore are as likely in this one. Maiden races are just tough to handicap.
Going into Saturday's 100K Fifth Season Stakes, Departing seems like the obvious choice. But Alsvid seemed like the obvious choice in Friday's Optional Claiming 50K for sprinters, and he ran third. So let's look beyond obvious as well.
1. Ecleto Red. It can't be common for a horse to have the lead in every race, to second call and sometimes into the stretch, on turf and dirt. Of late he hasn't kept it.
3. Raagheb. Seems like a better shot to me than his 20-1 morning line
5. Freestyler. Six wins in 2015 is serious, the last in August. Seems plausible the early speed could set things up for this strong closer. Best last race speed figure.
6. Street Strategy. To me, the top threat to Departing. Far behind stellar horses, but nonetheless ran in the Breeders Cup. Class. Versatile style. Much to like. Plus he's a gorgeous horse. Fell in love with him last year in his fifth-place finish in the Oaklawn Handicap. He was winning the beauty contest.
7. Luv Bandit. Interesting how he's switched back and forth from 6 furlong to 1 1/16th mile races. Today should be a 6 furlong race on the schedule.
8. Incremental. Am I reading the form correctly that he went from a Claiming 7500 to an Allowance 57K in four races? Wacky.
9. Smack Smack. Finished 2015 in winning style. His last loss was behind Departing. Could avenge.
11. The Truth or Else. Throw out his Oklahoma Derby, and he's on a short roll. Weird record at Oaklawn though.
12. Springboard. Hit the board regularly in 2015 and ended the year in good form. Sharp recent work. If others fall apart and the best closer doesn't pass him, there's some money to be made. But that's a lot of ifs. He's the horse Kyle Cook said he'd try to make some money with.
I'll be watching the post parade and checking odds. Post time decision.
Also, per family tradition, I'll be taking down the Christmas tree today. Because I'm lazy, I had to come up with a catchy reason to leave the tree up so long. A few years ago, we decided it stayed up until the Fifth Season. But it does still look pretty in the corner.