Oaklawn Park Horse Racing Picks for Saturday, 1/25/25

The Oaklawn Park spur of the Kentucky Derby trail continues on Saturday, January 25, with the Southwest Stakes (G3). Saturday’s card features 12 races, including that Kentucky Derby points race, a Kentucky Oaks points race in the Martha Washington, and four other stakes races for older horses. The 12-race card starts at 12:25 p.m. Eastern, 9:25 a.m. Pacific, and will feature excellent betting opportunities all day long!

Make sure to check the program on race day for scratches and changes, as well as watch the weather and track conditions. Skies are supposed to be clear, but weather can always bring surprises so make sure to check before you bet, and upgrade horses who race well in mud or are bred well for it, if that’s what turns up on race day.

Oaklawn Park Picks

Race 6: General MacArthur Overnight Stakes, 1 ⅛ miles on dirt - Sir Greylind, Time for Trouble

FanDuel odds: 5-2 and 12-1

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For as good as speed is in two-turn races at Oaklawn, this race has a lack of it on paper, meaning that if a horse breaks well and the jockey takes advantage, they may be able to lead a merry chase. Sir Greylind (5-2) steps into stakes company for the first time after a first-level allowance win last out. He frequently stalks in range of the pace, and drawn a couple of stalls outside favored Kinetic, he has the versatility of taking the lead or even working an outside-pressing trip if that one catches a flyer from the rail. Jockey Julien Leparoux and trainer Kenny McPeek have both had excellent Oaklawn meets so far, another plus.

Make sure to include Time for Trouble (12-1), especially in exotics. Though he doesn’t get a plum setup for his later-running style, he almost always fires even when the pace in front of him is slow, and he has enough stamina that 1 ⅛ miles first off the lay should be an easy stroll. The fact that he is trained by lesser-known Jeff Hiles should keep his price up, and jockey Rafael Bejarano is having a strong meet.

Race 9: Martha Washington, 1 1/16 miles on dirt - Legal Empress, Her Laugh

FanDuel odds: 20-1 and 2-1

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In shorter fields like this, the trip can make all the difference, so when there’s a long shot who stands to get an excellent trip, play them. Legal Empress (20-1) is just such a horse. She comes off a maiden win and faces winners for the first time, and does need to take a step up from a speed perspective. But, lightly raced sophomores can do just that, and she has the sharp but tactical early speed to be a factor from pillar to post. And, under-the-radar connections Abel Ramirez-Rodriguez and Harry Hernandez mean she should remain a big price, despite both of them having a solid meet.

Whit Beckman is lighting up the Fair Grounds spur of the Kentucky Oaks trail, and one of the horses responsible for that is Untapable winner Her Laugh (2-1). She has won both her starts to date, passing horses in her sprint debut and going gate to wire second out. If she takes even a modest step forward in her third lifetime start, she can keep the hot streak going for Beckman’s fillies.

Race 10: Southwest Stakes (G3), 1 1/16 miles on dirt - Sandman, Gaming

FanDuel odds: 5-1 and 2-1

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With several horses in this field who are unproven on any trip other than being right on the lead, this is the kind of race where you want to depend on horses with proven tactical speed. Sandman (5-1) came back strong after a short freshening, winning a first-level allowance at Oaklawn on December 13. He did so from a few lengths off the pace despite the fact that there wasn’t a pace collapse in front of him—he just showed superior late pace. Given how hot trainer Mark Casse has been this Oaklawn meet, it would be no surprise for him to find another sharp effort.

When Bob Baffert sends horses to Oaklawn they deserve a good, long look. Gaming (2-1) has to bounce back from a shock defeat in the Los Alamitos Futurity, but if it was just a question of him not liking the quirky Los Alamitos track, he could come back with a vengeance. His second-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile suggests he has ability at this distance, and he has already proven he can pass horses. The rail draw may be a bit of a challenge in such a big field, but Baffert isn’t shipping his horse—and Juan Hernandez, who has been riding top horses for the barn for a few years now—away from Santa Anita just to take a spa day in Hot Springs.

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