How to bet the 2025 New Mexico Classic Oaks

A competitive field of 10 sophomore fillies will travel 6 1/2 panels on the dirt in Monday’s $150,000 New Mexico Classic Oaks at Zia Park. The lack of collective consistency from the cast makes the dash a challenging handicapping assignment, and I will favor the speediest horses in the heat. 

Oaks Wagers

• $3 trifecta key 2 with 5,7,9 ($18)
• 50-cent trifecta 2 with 5,7,9 with all ($12)
• 50-cent trifecta 5,7,9 with 2 with all ($12)

#2 Mo Money Time (8-1) is the inside pace of the race and could clear the field with a good break from the gate. The Bart Hone pupil raced on this oval in her first run since March on Nov. 11, and the chestnut looked good in posting a gate-to-wire triumph at five-eighths. The daughter of Conquest Mo Money comes back relatively quickly in this spot, but I view it as a positive, and she might improve second time back off the bench. Regular rider Alfredo Juarez Jr. will be in the saddle. 

#9 Bye Bye Holley (5-1) earned a lifetime best Brisnet Speed number for her wire-to-wire allowance score on the surface last week and is aggressively placed in this one for Todd Fincher. The chestnut daughter of Marking has picked up both career tallies on the strip from three local tries to date, and while she doesn’t need the lead to perform well, I expect her to be rushed into contention early after how she performed on Nov. 17 under Fausto Da Silva.

Morning-line choice #5 Marked Kiss (3-1) has a versatile running style, and she was a daylight allowance victress off the eight-month absence last out for sharp local conditioner Dick Cappellucci. The New Mexico-bred bay has very good gate positional speed and will run with Lasix for the second time on Monday. High-percentage sprint pilot Luis Fuentes will be in the stirrups atop the three-year-old daughter of Marking. 

Fincher’s #7 Marksalot (9-2) has romped in two straight heats and has never been better in advance of this dash. Also by Marking, the speedy bay will need another step forward to upset this cast, but her current form is really good, and she comes in fresh for a barn that has experienced a lot of success at this meeting. The lass should be ready after posting a trio of useful morning moves of late.