April 15, 2017 (Arkansas Derby Day) Oaklawn Park Selections

The 2017 racing season at Oaklawn Park concludes with a 12 race card on Arkansas Derby Day. The card includes 4 stakes races (3 graded) - the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, the Northern Spur Stakes, the Oaklawn Handicap, and the Arkansas Derby. The Count Fleet Sprint Handicap is a Grade III stakes featuring 3 years old & up going 6 furlongs worth $400,000. The Northern Spur is a stakes race for 3 year olds worth $150,000. The Oaklawn Handicap is a Grade II stakes for 4 year olds & up worth $750,000. Finally, the Arkansas Derby is a Grade I stakes worth $1,000,000 for 3 year olds that features 170 points available in the Road to the Kentucky Derby (100 for win, 40 for place, 20 for show, and 10 for 4th). The Arkansas Derby has a stellar field including Rebel Stakes winner Malagacy, Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Classic Empire, Untrapped who is always in the money (Lecomte Stakes, Risen Star Stakes, and Rebel Stakes), and Petrov who finished 2nd in both the Smarty Jones Stakes and the Southwest Stakes. There is a special first post time of 12:30 pm on Arkansas Derby Day at Oaklawn Park.

My gut-based picks for the graded stakes races are the following:

• Count Fleet Sprint Handicap
• Whitmore
• Apprehender
• Sharp Art
• Oaklawn Handicap
• Midnight Storm
• Domain's Rap
• Madefromlucky
• Arkansas Derby
• Untrapped
• Malagacy
• Petrov

The selections (tip sheet) from my Monte Carlo program from the day of racing are found below. I will round out the season of picking horses at Oaklawn for 2017 early next week and summarize the final "What If" game based on the Monte Carlo program selections. Enjoy your day at the races and come back to leave a tip if you benefited from this tip sheet.

• Race 1
• 4 - Skip the Pinot
• 10 - Will Munnings
• 2 - Heat Road
• Race 2
• 6 - O T B Bob
• 12 - Roma Road
• 10 - High Dollar Kitten
• Race 3
• 8 - Leofric
• 2 - Fire Starter
• 6 - Mishegas
• Race 4
• 4 - Net Gain
• 9 - Abbaa
• 5 - Mister Pollard
• Race 5
• 9 - Allidoisdreamofyou
• 6 - Moon Gate Warrior
• 5 - Conquest Bigluck E
• Race 6
• 7 - Hard Fought
• 11 - Curmit
• 9 - Pitch Count
• Race 7 (Count Fleet Sprint Handicap)
• 9 - Apprehender
• 1 - Chief of Staff
• 4 - Black Bear
• Race 8 (Northern Spur)
• 7 - Total Tap
• 1 - Cistron
• 2 - Colonelsdarktemper
• Race 9 (Oaklawn Handicap)
• 2 - Domain's Rap
• 5 - Inside Straight
• 4 - Madefromlucky
• Race 10
• 3 - Confederate Rags
• 2 - Langs Legend
• 11 - Greeleys Charm
• Race 11 (Arkansas Derby)
• 7 - Sonneteer
• 2 - Classic Empire
• 3 - Silver Dust
• Race 12
• 4 - Dontsaymyname
• 3 - The Rouge Diesel
• 6 - Indy Awesome 

Good luck!