Cold Exacta is the value play in Roxelana Stakes

A compact, but talented, field of five fillies and mares will go postward in the opening-night feature at Churchill Downs. The $160,000 Roxelana Overnight S. will be contested at six furlongs on the dirt and led by Al Stall’s unbeaten #5 Carribean Caper (8-5), who will put her sterling five-for-five mark on the line in the dash.

The four-year-old daughter of Speightstown had a dominant sophomore campaign which saw her win her races by a combined 24 lengths, led by a runaway tally in the Dogwood S. (G3) on the surface to conclude her three-year-old season. Bred in the Bluegrass State, the dark bay filly possesses positional speed as well as a potent turn of foot, and while she wasn’t always facing the best in her division, the lass still exuded class in each of her handful of assignments to date.

Carribean Caper drew perfectly on the outside of the small bunch, which will give regular pilot Colby Hernandez options early on in the sprint. The filly has been training in swift fashion in preparation of her 2022 debut, and I expect her to move to the fore in early stretch en route to posting a sixth successive victory.

#1 Euphoric (6-1) is the speed of the field from the rail and will be in the lead turning for home for conditioner Bernie Flint. The chestnut daughter of Frosted was a fine runner-up in a deep allowance attempt at Fair Grounds last time out, and she signaled her readiness for Saturday with a bullet move on the course last weekend.

The Empire State-bred four-year-old flashed huge early foot before fading in her most recent performance beneath the Twin Spires, and I envision her running her best local race to date in this affair. Gerardo Corrales will be sending the speed filly from the start, and if she catches a flier out of the gate, then Euphoric could be difficult to run down late off of the short layoff. 

Roxelana Wager

• $40 exacta: 5 with 1 ($40)