Finnick the Fierce, Diamond Oops top 4 can’t-miss races
The path back to stakes company continues this weekend in at least four allowance and handicap events around the country. With the stakes schedule itself light -- there's only Belmont Park's Ogden Phipps (G1) and Churchill Downs' Louisville Stakes (G3) -- tune into these races for a look at runners that figure to step up later in the season.
Saturday’s fifth race at Churchill Downs (3:10 p.m. ET)
This allowance optional claiming race is short on numbers but possesses plenty of quality, particularly with Finnick the Fierce and Art Collector taking their next steps toward potential starts in Keeneland’s July 11 Blue Grass Stakes (G2). The one-eyed Finnick the Fierce ran third most recently in Nadal’s division of the Arkansas Derby (G1), continuing to deliver consistent closing kicks. Art Collector, still relatively new to the Tommy Drury barn, won another local allowance off the bench on May 17 going away. Also in this flight, Necker Island and Shared Sense are familiar from the 3-year-old stakes ranks.
Saturday’s 11th race at Gulfstream Park (5:22 p.m. ET)
Named the Coaltown, this $55,000 handicap came up with a stakes-quality field going a mile. All eyes will be on Diamond Oops, the 5-year-old gelding last seen finishing fourth in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup (G1). The Patrick Biancone trainee has been exemplary at Gulfstream, where he’s 5-for-8 lifetime with multiple stakes victories. The Grade 1 winner Math Wizard appears here as the second morning line choice, while 4-year-old filly Letruska is intriguing after a 7-for-7 start to her career running mostly south of the border. Two back, she defeated more open company in allowance company at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday’s 10th race at Churchill Downs (5:50 p.m. ET)
An overflow field of 3-year-old fillies signed on for this 6 1/2-furlong allowance, and the 7/2 morning line favoritism Scolding shares with rival Figure of Speech may prove to be a value. The Steve Asmussen-trained daughter of Carpe Diem, who cost $475,000 at auction, prevailed by six lengths in her May 2 debut at Oaklawn Park, where she also defeated a large field after pressing the pace and finishing geared down. The co-favorite here, Chad Brown’s Figure of Speech, went straight from her first out Saratoga win last summer to finish third in the Sept. 1 Spinaway (G1). She’ll come off the layoff Saturday.
Sunday’s ninth race at Churchill Downs (5:18 p.m. ET)
Toledo, who once chased talented Tiz the Law and Ete Indien in the Holy Bull (G3), continued to take money when defeated by Art Collector in their last race under the Twin Spires. He’s back as the morning line favorite in this 6 1/2-furlong allowance event — either a breakthrough race for the Brown-trained Juddmonte Farms homebred, or another opportunity for bettors to go against. Toledo hasn’t missed the board in his five starts, but he has also gone favored in each of those races outside the Holy Bull, winning once thus far.