Betting the 2025 Ring the Bell Stakes

A hard-knocking cast of eight will speed six panels on the Oaklawn Park main oval in Saturday’s feature, the $150,000 Ring the Bell S. Conditioner David Jacobson has a pair of talented contenders in the field, and I feel that each of the duo has a winning chance in the competitive heat. 

Ring the Bell Wagers

• $12 win and place #2 Durante ($24)
• $2 trifecta 2,7 with 2,4,6,7 with 2,4,6,7 ($24)

The durable #2 Durante (8-1) offers the best value in the dash, and I will use him in all of my plays. Six-year-old son of Distorted Humor has posted wins in just three of his 19 runs dating back to 2024, but his last pair of efforts were good, and I like his form coming into the dash. The Kentucky-bred was a neck second in the Phoenix S. (G2) at Keeneland two back and was last seen running an even third behind Roll On Big Joe, a fine winner in the Bet on Sunshine S. at Churchill Downs. 

Durante owns five wins at the distance; he is a victor over the Oaklawn surface, and the bay figures to receive a good voyage just off of a rapid early tempo, too. Christian Torres will ask the upset pick for his best approaching the turn for home. 

Jacobson’s Grade-2 winning #7 Banishing (3-1) will go over $2 million in earnings with a tally in this event, and wouldn’t be a surprise. The Ghostzapper gelding sports a strong 5-3-2-0 mark on the course and will get a big measure of class relief after going in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) most recently. He is not a pure sprinter, although the chestnut is two-for-three at six panels, and he’s too good to ignore on this occasion. Luis Saez will be in the stirrups. 

Steve Asmussen’s #4 Skelly (5-2) is 10-for-12 with a second at Oaklawn Park and will be the one to catch under Ricardo Santana, Jr. The course specialist has given way in the stretch in each of his last three showings, but he comes in fresh and seems to morph into a different animal in Hot Springs. 

Multiple Grade 3 star #6 Roll On Big Joe (2-1) was superb in his Bet on Sunshine coup in his latest effort and will be a tough one to handle with anything resembling that performance. Bob Hess pupil will be forcing the tempo from second in the early stages of the tilt, and if the Prospective gelding takes to this venue, then he will be an obvious player late with Leparoux in the controls.