Horse Racing picks for Oaklawn Park race track on Saturday, February 12: Rock looks a solid choice

1:40 pm ET Oaklawn Park (Race 2) – Portsmouth 3/1

Portsmouth has shown improvement in each of his 3 starts with the latest of those coming when runner-up, beaten 10 lengths by an all-the-way winner in a mile maiden special weight at Los Alamitos in early December.

David Cabrera’s mount has delivered some solid works at this venue including a 49.60 for 4 furlongs at the track 2 weeks ago and with Lasix used for the first time he is taken to break his maiden at the 4th attempt.

2:40 pm ET Oaklawn Park (Race 4) – You Vee Cee 3/1

You Vee Cee as demonstrated plenty of ability in 3 starts, finishing on the board on each occasion with the gelding’s 2 most recent efforts coming at this venue. The son of Hightail raced close to the pace and led into the stretch prior to being overhauled by a closer in a 6-furlong maiden special weight last month.

The pair finished 5-and-a-half-lengths clear that day and the selection looks likely to prove hard to beat having drawn gate 2. 

4:47 pm ET Oaklawn Park (Race 8) – Coach 5/2

Brad Cox’s representative is bidding to complete a hat-trick having won both starts since finishing down the field in 9th in last April’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

The 4-year-old’s most recent victory came with the filly producing a career-best figure in making all to win by 3 lengths in the Listed Pippin Stakes over a mile at this track last month. The extra 16th here shouldn’t inconvenience her and she is taken to record a first Graded success. 

5:20 pm ET Oaklawn Park (Race 9) – Joyful Cadence 3/1

The daughter of Runhappy placed 3rd in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in May last year. However the 4-year-old has had just 2 subsequent starts with the best of those coming when 3rd in an allowance over 6 furlongs at this track at the end of December. She delivered a solid 48.40 4-furlong breeze earlier this week and, having placed in stakes company in the past, looks capable of scoring in this allowance event. 

5:56 pm ET Oaklawn Park (Race 10) – Lone Rock 3/1

Robertino Diodoro’s charge looks capable of taking the richest race of the weekend with the gelding coming into this event having finished in the first 2 in each of his last 11 starts. A Grade 2 winner at Del Mar in November, the 7-year-old justified favouritism by three-quarters of a length in the Tinsel Stakes over 9 furlongs here the following month. He looks up to getting his 2022 campaign off to the perfect start with Ramon Vazquez in the saddle.