TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Fantastic Four There’s a ‘Final Four’ feel with Saturday’s $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at, you guessed it, Oaklawn Park. The quartet responsible for providing that energy consists of 2-1 opening line favorite First Mission,...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   A Worthy Endeavour Where’s My Ring isn’t just a question Chris Paul asks himself in the mirror, it’s also the name of the 4-year-old filly with the best chance to dethrone Thorpedo Anna in Saturday’s $1.25 million Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Blue Chip Blue Grass A $750,000 top prize and up to 200 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points are up for grabs this Tuesday in the $1.25 million Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland. While heavy rains moved Keeneland’s bustling Saturday card to...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Take My Hand Sandman enters Saturday’s $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) hoping to break through at the graded level. Taking to Oaklawn Park, the site of his last three starts and two of four graded stakes attempts, Enter Sandman has made...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Keep Those Options Open Let’s try this again… In last week’s edition of WOT, we wrote about undefeated colt John Hancock’s prospects of remaining perfect in the $500,000 Virginia Derby. But, as we all know, plans change. The Brad Cox charge...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Quantifiable Results   Tejano Twist has accomplished many things over his spectacular 38-start career, including reaching double-digit wins (10) and surpassing the $1.5 million career purse earnings mark.   However, the title of ‘multiple...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   A busy but fulfilling eight-start sophomore campaign earned Tarifa a few months of down time before her 2025 debut, which comes this Saturday in the $300,000 Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.   The three-time graded stakes winning filly...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Take it up a Notch   Fresh off a career-best effort in the Grade 3 Thunder Road, El Potente (2-1) will need to find another gear to outduel Mi Hermano Ramon, the 8-5 opening line choice in Saturday’s $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) at Santa...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Who Wants it?   Oaklawn Park has hosted two Kentucky Derby points races so far this season.   The first tilt, the Smarty Jones Stakes went to Coal Battle on Jan. 4, while the second, the Southwest Stakes (G3), was claimed by Speed King...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Long Road Back   Following a tough showing in November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), East Avenue finds himself on the road to redemption in Saturday’s $500,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.   A costly stumble out of the gate dashed any...