NBC's Olczyk reveals favorite value pick for Kentucky Oaks card

NBC handicapper Eddie Olczyk plans to spread his money Friday at Churchill Downs on a card with six graded stakes, including the 2021 Kentucky Oaks.

“I’m looking at it and you can go three or four deep in the majority of the card,” Olczyk said Tuesday on an NBC conference call.

With that in mind, Olczyk said Li’l Tootsie could juice up his picks at “a nice, square price.” The 3-year-old Tapiture filly is 8-1 on the morning line for the $300,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2), the ninth of 13 races Friday under the Twin Spires.

“I’m going to be using that horse up and down and hoping to pad the bankroll for a little bit later in the Oaks, then into the Oaks/Derby double,” Olczyk said.

Li’l Tootsie will take on the Eight Belles' seven furlongs Friday for owner Joel Politi and trainer Tom Amoss. They teamed up to win the 2019 Kentucky Oaks and four other graded stakes with Serengeti Empress.

Over four lifetime starts, all at Fair Grounds, Li’l Tootsie is 4: 2-1-0 with $81,000 earned. She tried the Kentucky Oaks trail last month in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) but finished fifth after racing wide through both turns and tiring in the stretch.

Li’l Tootsie breezed four furlongs Thursday at Churchill in 47.6 seconds, third-fastest of 39 works at the distance. She gains the services of jockey Flavien Prat, whose weekend mounts include Hot Rod Charlie on Saturday in the Kentucky Derby.

2020 Frizette Stakes (G1) winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice makes her 3-year-old debut in the Eight Belles as 3-1 morning-line favorite. Jockey Gerardo Corrales rides for trainer Timothy Hamm.

Other runners in the 12-filly field include Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) heroine Kalypso (5-1) for trainer Bob Baffert, Beaumont Stakes (G3) runner-up Slumber Party (6-1) for the Kelly Breen barn and Fair Grounds Oaks third-place finisher Souper Sensational (6-1) for conditioner Mark Casse.