Mucciolo's bookending singles for Oaklawn Late Pick 5

by JOHN MUCCIOLO

The lucrative, $500,000 Southwest S. (G3) is the Monday feature at Oaklawn Park, and I will take aim at the Late Pick 5:

Race 6:

Maiden special weight run for sophomores going a mile attracts a fairly well-matched cast. #3 LIONITE is a must use in his seasonal debut for Asmussen. Son of hot sire Quality Road was a good fourth in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) in the fall and has since been flattered when Bravazo, second at Keeneland, came back to nab the Risen Star (G2) on Saturday. Lionite will be especially tough with something like his best.

Race 7:

Allowance sprint for three-year-old fillies attracted nine and I think this is the most wide-open contest of the sequence. #6 SHANGHAI TARIFF is my top play but is a bit of a question mark and a single here is out of the question.

DiVito trainee ‘freaked’ to an extent last time against lesser. Filly raced without blinkers for the initial time and rolled home by 12 lengths, though she did face softer and also caught a sloppy oval. She is a tricky read but might have turned the corner.

I can make a case for just about each of the lightly raced sorts, and I will click the ‘all’ button.

Race 8:

A total of 11 will go postward in the $500,000 Razorback H. (G3) in another toughie. I have a luxury of being able to spread in this one and will do just that.

#1 UNTRAPPED, #4 J BOYS ECHO, #5 LEOFRIC, #6 SONNETEER, and #9 ROCKING THE BOAT are the handful that I will use.

Race 9:

Southwest came up strong with a field led by Bob Baffert’s #4 MOURINHO. Son of Super Saver was always best in the Smarty Jones S. in the local prep for today’s endeavor and I think he has a whole lot of ability.

#10 COMBATANT was a big second to the aforementioned and has improved with every career race. Son of Scat Daddy might also receive a favorable set-up with a lot of pace in the fold, and the value is there, as well.

Race 10:

Bob Baffert’s #8 ZULFIKHAR was hammered to 3-5 odds at first asking en route to a decisive tally at Los Alamitos. $750,000 juvenile purchase has a ton of upside and he morning drills suggest that the colt will be very tough in a useful field. Bay son of Bodemeister looks imposing with Drayden Van Dyke in the silks.

I am not a huge fan of concluding a multi-race wager with a favorite, but, Zulfikhar is my single to end it.

Wager

$.50-cent Pick 5: 3 with all with 1,4,5,6,9 with 4,10 with 8 = $45

Good luck!