Essex Handicap 2022: Odds, pace projection, preview, more

With no 2022 Kentucky Derby preps on Saturday’s racing calendar, an eight-pack of hard-knocking older runners will battle in the day’s featured race.

Plainsman (2-1) is favored on the morning line for the Grade 3, $500,000 Essex Handicap. Post time from Oaklawn Park is 6:10 p.m. EDT, with TVG showing the 1 1/16-mile event.

Click here for Oaklawn Park entries and results.

All eight entrants in the 2022 Essex are at least 6 years old. The favorite is a 7-year-old son of Flatter with 28 starts to his name, including Grade 3 victories in Aqueduct’s 2018 Discovery Stakes, Churchill Downs’ 2021 Ack Ack Stakes, and, last out, Oaklawn’s Razorback Handicap on Feb. 12.

Brad Cox trains Plainsman, who has won nine starts and banked more than $1.2 million in his career. Jockey Joel Rosario – like Cox, a 2021 Eclipse Award winner – will be up on the favorite.

Cox also trains Warrior’s Charge (7-2), another millionaire who has made 10 prior Oaklawn starts and won the 2020 Razorback. He enters off a local allowance score at this 1 1/16-mile distance Jan. 28.

Thomas Shelby (7-2) makes a third consecutive Oaklawn stakes start and runs off a second-place finish to Plainsman in the Razorback for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Shawn Davis trains Popular Kid (6-1), third-place runner in the Razorback who aims to make the grade in career start No. 64. Rated R Superstar (8-1) has made 58 lifetime starts and won the local Fifth Season Stakes two races back on Jan. 15.

The Essex Handicap was elevated over the winter to a Grade 3 event. The race serves as a prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 23.

Related: Cox's Plainsman, Warrior's Charge will meet for first time in Essex

Here is a look at the field for the 2022 Essex Handicap (trainer and jockey in parentheses) with morning-line odds:

1. Thomas Shelby (Robertino Diodoro, David Cohen), 7-2

2. Title Ready (Dallas Stewart, Brian Hernandez Jr.), 12-1

3. Warrior’s Charge (Brad Cox, Florent Geroux), 7-2

4. Plainsman (Brad Cox, Joel Rosario), 2-1

5. Popular Kid (Shawn Davis, Francisco Arrieta), 6-1

6. Rated R Superstar (Federico Villafranco, David Cabrera), 8-1

7. Beau Luminarie (Rodolphe Brisset, Ricardo Santana Jr.), 8-1

8. Hanalei’s Houdini (Mike Maker, Ramon Vazquez), 10-1

TimeformUS’ pace projections show Warrior’s Charge under jockey Florent Geroux and Thomas Shelby under jockey David Cohen going to the front, with a setup favoring horses on or near the early lead.

Other Saturday stakes

Here is a look at other some of the other stakes races taking place Saturday. All post times are EDT.

5:04 p.m. – $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3), 4-and-up, six furlongs, Oaklawn Park, TVG

Bob’s Edge (5-2) leads a race formerly known as the Hot Springs Stakes until it was recently renamed for 2020 champion male sprinter Whitmore. Larry Jones trains and Luis Quinonez rides the 4-year-old Competitive Edge gelding, winner of Oaklawn’s King Cotton Stakes on Jan. 29. John Ortiz trains Hollis (3-1), who was fifth in the King Cotton but bounced back with a local allowance win Feb. 20. Greeley and Ben (9-2) steps up in class for trainer Karl Broberg off three wins in a row, including a starter allowance score Feb. 21 at Oaklawn.

Related: Analysis: Royal upset is possible Saturday in Whitmore

5:32 p.m. – $100,000 Cicada Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, six furlongs, Aqueduct, FS2

Rosebug (5-2) shortens by three furlongs of distance after finishing fourth Jan. 23 at Aqueduct in the 1 1/8-mile Busanda Stakes, a Kentucky Oaks points prep. Bill Mott trains the American Pharoah filly, who will have jockey Jose Lezcano up. Raymond Handal trains Monshun (3-1), a debut winner Aug. 18 at Saratoga who makes her first start since that victory. Lady Scarlet (3-1) ships to New York and tries stakes flight off an Oaklawn Park allowance win Feb. 26.

5:42 p.m. – $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes, 3-year-olds, six furlongs, Gulfstream Park, TVG

Nitrous Channel (7-5) won locally on first asking Feb. 5 and now takes on stakes company. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione gets the call on the Nyquist colt for trainer George Weaver. Todd Pletcher trains Provocateur (3-1), second at Tampa Bay in the Pasco Stakes on Jan. 15. Cattin (7-2) is a stakes winner who finished third in the Pasco for trainer Ralph Nicks.

7:44 p.m. – $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes, Calif.-bred or Calif.-sired, 4-and-up fillies and mares, 6½ furlongs (turf), Santa Anita, TVG

Becca Taylor (4-5) is 6-for-6 in her career and looks to make it seven straight in this spot for trainer Steven Miyadi. Jockey Flavien Prat will pilot the 4-year-old Old Topper filly, whose last victory came Feb. 21 on the main track in Santa Anita’s Spring Fever Stakes. Carla Gaines trains Sensible Cat (3-1), a Los Alamitos stakes winner who enters off a local allowance score Jan. 28. Eddie’s New Dream (4-1) was third for trainer Ben Cecil on Jan. 15 at Santa Anita in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint Stakes.

Related: How to play Santa Anita's Pick 6 with mandatory payout Saturday