Oaklawn Park pick of the day for May 1

Friday is the penultimate day of the 2020 Oaklawn Park meet, and the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) highlights a dynamite 10-race program.

Oaklawn Park, Race 8: $80,000 Gardenia Stakes (1 1/16 miles, 5:38 ET)

One race before than the Fantasy, 3-year-old fillies will compete in the Gardenia S., and #10 Antoinette looks poised for a strong showing.

By Hard Spun, Antoinette has some quality turf performers in her female family and started her racing career on the sod, where she broke her maiden second time out, on Belmont’s inner turf course in late October. Entered for turf the next time out in the Tepin S., Antoinette carried her form to the main track when the race switched surfaces and drew off to a sharp, 1 3/4-length decision.

Antoinette defeated suspect competition in the Tepin, but trainer Bill Mott was encouraged by what he witnessed and put the bay filly on the main track for her 3-year-old debut, the March 21 Fair Grounds Oak (G2). She experienced a less-than-favorable trip, pocketed in traffic behind a moderate pace that afternoon, and swung out into the clear in the stretch. But she was under a hold before that, waiting for room to develop.

The Fair Grounds Oaks was a difficult return spot for a filly lacking seasoning. Bonny South won the race impressively and soared up the Kentucky Oaks (G1) rankings, and Antoinette finished well to be a clear third, nearly a length better than favored Finite. Antoinette is a filly on the upswing and registered a 90 Brisnet Speed rating, one of the top last-out numbers in the Gardenia field.

Antoinette possesses a fair amount of tactical speed, which should ensure a good trip in the flight behind the early leaders in the Gardenia, and I like the jockey switch to jockey John Velazquez. She probably won’t be her 8-1 morning-line price, but Antoinette won’t be too short in the competitive, 12-horse field.

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Tune into Churchill Downs’ virtual "Kentucky Derby at Home" party on NBC on May 2, from 3-6:00 p.m. ET