How to bet the Bourbonette Oaks

A cast of 10 sophomore fillies will vie in Saturday’s $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park. The one-mile affair is worth 34 points (20-8-4-2) to the top four finishers in the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Oaks series event. I will be playing superfectas in a race that could provide a healthy return.

Bourbonette Oaks Analysis

There is a plethora of speed signed on in the well-matched field, as numerous contenders have flashed early foot in the recent past. I expect the winner to rally from a few lengths off the early pace and have landed with the Graham Motion-trained #10 Candace O (5-1) to claim the top prize.

Bred in Kentucky, the daughter of Declaration of War has raced solely on the lawn from four career assignments and has never run a bad race. Gamely graduating in her juvenile finale at Gulfstream Park, she exits a deep contest when she finished a creditable fourth in the Sweetest Chant S. (G3) while making her 2021 debut.

The bay has trained well in the interim for her first try since January for a top layoff conditioner. She has very good positional speed, and I do feel that drawing widest of all will be of benefit on this occasion for the top selection. Candace O will have Rafael Bejarano in the controls, and if the filly avoids being hung too wide early on, then she will have plenty left to pick up her first stakes score down the lane at a fair number.

I like a pair of logical contenders for the vertical exotics. #8 Adventuring (3-1) is an unknown commodity on the Tapeta, but the Brad Cox trainee has improved with each start in preparation of her local debut. Godolphin homebred romped in impressive fashion in a special weight tilt at Fair Grounds most recently, and I expect her to thrive on the surface change on Saturday under Geroux.

#6 California Lily (6-1), one of two from the barn of Mark Casse, is perfect from a pair of synthetic assignments to date, including a professional win at Turfway last time out. The way that the chestnut daughter of California Chrome rated on the lead and closed well in her latest venture left a positive impression on me, and gave me confidence that she could run well from off the pace, too. Rafael Hernandez picks up the mount.

A pair from the McPeek shedrow can also crash the exotics party. Trapeze S. queen #3 Oliviaofthedesert (8-1) and longshot #9 Forever Boss (12-1) will each be included to some extent underneath.

Bourbonette Oaks Wagers

• $2 Superfecta: 10 with 6,8 with 6,8 with All ($28)
• 50-cent Superfecta: 10 with 6,8 with 3,6,8,9 with All ($21)