Spot Plays for Oaklawn Park's Friday card

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Glorious sunshine is forecast both today and Rebel Stakes Day here at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, with temperatures a touch on the cool side in the upper 50s. I'll have more varied opinions on the Rebel Day card tomorrow morning. Today's program is also highlighted by large fields, with a couple allowances sprinkled throughout the nine races. The first of the entry-level allowances, a six-furlong dash for three-year-old fillies, is Race 4. #3 TALBEYA (7-2), third to subsequent Dixie Belle heroine Raintree Starlet in her season reappearance in late January, gets a little more ground to work with here and, if she breaks a little more alertly, can take a step forward against a field that's not too imposing on paper. Win #3 We'll play her to win and key her in some Doubles with the second leg being Race 5, a $30,000 maiden claimer for three-year-olds. #5 I'M BUSY (3-1) is a potential strong favorite dropping in for a tag for the first time, but #4 SOUL READY (5-1) and #8 CHASING HAPPY (10-1) are doing the same and have room for further improvement. The latter, especially, hasn't had the best of luck in recent outings, while the former has been gelded since his last start. Doubles: 3 with 4,5,8 The other allowance is Race 8, where #2 MISSISSIPPI (6-1) stretches back out around two turns after running second going six furlongs on February 15, his first since June and his debut for trainer Ron Moquett. He was notably a distant third behind Audible and Hofburg in last year's Florida Derby (G1). Win #2   Photo: Vance Hanson