Oaklawn Handicap 2023: Odds, free PPs, Saturday stakes, more

Todd Pletcher is preparing a trio of major prep winners – Forte, Kingsbarns and Tapit Trice – for Kentucky Derby 2023. While those 3-year-olds train for the May 6 showcase, the trainer sends out one of his best older runners in Saturday’s featured event.

Charge It is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap. Post time is 6:06 p.m. EDT, with FanDuel TV showing the 1 1/8-mile event for 4-and-up runners.

This time last season, Charge It was coming off a Florida Derby (G1) runner-up effort and training for the Kentucky Derby. The Tapit colt failed to factor at Churchill Downs, running 17th.

Charge It then dominated Belmont Park’s Dwyer Stakes (G3) last July and, after a seven-month layoff, took an allowance race in February at Gulfstream Park. He went off the 3-5 favorite March 4 in the Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) but finished second behind winner Endorsed.

Whisper Hill Farm, which campaigns Blue Grass Stakes (G1) hero Tapit Trice with Pletcher, also owns its homebred Charge It. Jockey Luis Saez has the mount on the 4-year-old, who adds blinkers in this spot.

Last Samurai (2-1) won the 2022 Oaklawn Handicap as a 13-1 shot when running for trainer Dallas Stewart’s barn. Now with trainer D. Wayne Lukas, he took Oaklawn’s Razorback Handicap (G3) in February and Essex Handicap (G3) on March 18 leading into this event.

Proxy (4-1) cuts back by an eighth of a mile after finishing second March 4 in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) at 1 1/4 miles. The Michael Stidham trainee earned Grade 1 laurels last November when winning Churchill’s Clark Stakes.

Classic Causeway (6-1) is also a Grade 1 winner, with his top-level score coming over the turf last July in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1). He was runner-up to Last Samurai in the Essex for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Stilleto Boy (8-1) returns to Oaklawn for the first time since breaking his maiden there in April 2021. Trained by Ed Moger Jr., he outran his 14-1 odds in the Santa Anita Handicap when he got up late to beat Proxy by a neck.

Lukas has won the Oaklawn Handicap four times with Will Take Charge (2014), Grand Reward (2005), Slew City Slew (1989) and Imp Society (1985). Pletcher, who came up as Lukas’s assistant, took this event with Race Day (2015) and Lawyer Ron (2007).

Here is a look at the field for the 2023 Oaklawn Handicap (trainers and jockeys in parentheses) with morning-line odds:

1. Rated R Superstar (Martin Villafranco, David Cabrera), 20-1

2. Last Samurai (D. Wayne Lukas, Cristian Torres), 2-1

3. Stilleto Boy (Ed Moger Jr., Kent Desormeaux), 8-1

4. Proxy (Michael Stidham, Joel Rosario), 4-1

5. Senor Buscador (Todd Fincher, Ricardo Santana Jr.), 15-1

6. Classic Causeway (Kenny McPeek, Francisco Arrieta), 6-1

7. Charge It (Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez), 8-5

TimeformUS pace projections show favorite Charge It should enjoy an uncontested early lead under Saez.

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Other Saturday stakes

Here is a look at other stakes races of note taking place Saturday across the U.S. All post times are listed as EDT and races may be seen on FanDuel TV.

4:44 p.m. – $350,000 Elkhorn Stakes (G2), 4-and-up, 1 1/2 miles (turf), Keeneland

Red Knight (5-2), a Grade 2 winner for trainer Mike Maker, enters off a one-length victory over stablemate Value Engineering on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park in the William L. McKnight Stakes (G3). Jockey Gerardo Corrales rides the Pure Prize gelding, who is still going strong in his 9-year-old season. Value Engineering (7-2) followed his runner-up finish against Red Knight by winning Gulfstream’s Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2) on March 4. Channel Maker (9-2), the 2020 Eclipse Award champion turf male, was seventh last out in the McKnight for trainer Bill Mott.

5:16 p.m. – $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3), 4-and-up, 1 3/16 miles, Keeneland

Skippylongstocking (7-5) has scored three Grade 3 wins for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., including March 11 at Tampa Bay in the Challenger Stakes. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on the 4-year-old Exaggerator colt, who was third last June in the Belmont Stakes. Kenny McPeek trains Rattle N Roll (3-1), the local 2021 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) hero who was fourth March 25 at Fair Grounds in the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2). Pioneer of Medina (7-2), a Grade 3 winner for trainer Todd Pletcher, was sixth in the New Orleans Classic.

6:02 p.m. – $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes (G3), 4-and-up, 6 1/2 furlongs, Santa Anita

Brickyard Ride (6-5) has won 12 of his 24 career starts, including last April’s Kona Gold Stakes, and was third March 5 in the local San Simeon Stakes (G3). Jockey Juan Hernandez gets the call from trainer Craig Lewis on the 6-year-old son of Clubhouse Ride. Doug O’Neill trains Anarchist (5-2), runner-up in the San Simeon, which was his graded debut. Sunrise Journey (4-1) makes his graded bow in career start No. 45 off a local allowance win April 7 for trainer Librado Barocio.

6:46 p.m. – $200,000 Bath House Row Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles, Oaklawn

Red Route One (2-1), sixth-place finisher April 1 in the local Arkansas Derby (G1), is morning-line favorite for this event that awards its winner – if Triple Crown-nominated – a Preakness Stakes berth. Trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario team up with the Gun Runner colt, who was second at Oaklawn in both the Rebel Stakes (G2) and Southwest Stakes (G3). Brad Cox trains Victory Formation (3-1), the local Smarty Jones Stakes victor who was ninth Feb. 18 at Fair Grounds in the Risen Star Stakes (G2). Tapit Shoes (7-2) finished third for Cox on the Risen Star card in an allowance race.

8:07 p.m. – $200,000 Californian Stakes (G2), 4-and-up, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita

Defunded (4-5) looks for his first win since taking Santa Anita’s Awesome Again Stakes (G1) last October for trainer Bob Baffert. Hernandez will get a leg up on the 5-year-old Dialed In gelding, third-place runner March 4 in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Richard Mandella trains Royal Ship (3-1), the 2021 Californian victor who switches surfaces after running eighth March 4 over the lawn in the local Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1). The John Shirreffs-trained Parnelli (4-1) was third Jan. 28 in Santa Anita’s San Pasqual Stakes (G2) at this distance.