Oaklawn Park Rainbow Miss Stakes & Rainbow Stakes Odds & Picks April 17

• Oaklawn Park has a pair of $100,000 stakes slated for Friday’s card
• Arkansas-breds will contest the Rainbow Miss and Rainbow Stakes
• Who provides the best value at Oaklawn Park on Friday afternoon?

Give credit to Oaklawn Park. With sports mainly suspended, they are one of the few racetracks currently running, and the only one trying really hard to provide fans and handicappers with quality races day in and day out.

Friday in Hot Springs two $100,000 races for Arkansas-breds are on the card. Both have competitive fields and are worthy of looking at and considering where there might be some betting opportunities.

Let’s outline the fields for both races and briefly analyze the two contests.

2020 Rainbow Miss Stakes Odds

All odds taken April 16.

Favorites

With four horses between 5/2 and 7/2, there isn’t really a consensus chalk.

Proud Victoria is the tepid favorite for top trainer Ron Moquett. She started her career two for two and then stepped way up in class last time out finishing fourth against older horses in a stakes race.

Two of the horses that finished ahead of her last time out have returned to the track to win, and that group was much more experienced than her competition today. There is little reason to believe she won’t be in the mix

Sekani finished second in her debut and returned to the track to crush maiden’s by 10 lengths. Last time out she had a rough trip in a fourth-place finish against allowance optional claiming competition.

The Mary Rose has seemingly liked this track and distance. After lackluster efforts to start her career in Kentucky, she impressively won her local debut and following her first so so start against winners, came back to finish second in an allowance race at Oaklawn.

Choctaw Charlie has raced just twice and finished second in both events. She gets top rider Joel Rosario and clearly is well thought of after back-to-back tight losses.

Analysis

Aside from the four favorites, Get One More is a little bit interesting. Trainer Joe McKellar was impressed enough when she beat maiden claimers going two turns that she moves all the way up stakes competition in her first race against winners.

That said, Proud Victoria has the best resume. She has a strong conditioner, has raced against the best horses, and had good results. She should be a stronger favorite than she is and provides value at 5/2.

The Rainbow will have a significant favorite in Gulfstream Park shipper Zaino Boyz. That said, several other horses are viable contenders. This field of 10 presents an interesting betting opportunity.

2020 Rainbow Stakes Odds

Favorite: Zaino Boyz

After starting his first seven career races in Florida, where often the quality of racing is pretty strong, Zaino Boyz returns home to Arkansas to run against other Natural State-breds. He has three wins in seven starts including a stakes victory back in December at Tampa Bay Downs. He took another step up in class to begin 2020 falling in a stakes race at Gulfstream Park.

After a mediocre performance in an allowance race at Gulfstream in February, he bounced back to win an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream last month. The level of competition he has faced is pretty strong, and his last race is impressive.

Other Contenders

If the weather is good Captain Don is viable. He looked really strong in his 2020 debut breaking his maiden at Oaklawn. Then he faced older horses in an allowance race and was very competitive. Last time out he ran poorly in the mud.

Tempt Fate won at the Fair Grounds in December but was disqualified when he tested positive for a banned substance. Then he got claimed and crushed a maiden special weight field.

Man in the Can is ridden by Rosario and trained by Moquett. He won his debut in Oklahoma and looked rusty after nearly a three-month break when he finished sixth in an allowance race at Oaklawn in late February. He was behind Captain Don in that event.

Analysis

If there is rain longshot Ten Buds is viable after a win in the mud last time out. As for the primary contenders, Zaino Boyz is the most likely winner but the odds are low. When it comes to value, let’s take the top connections and see if Man in the Can is more ready today in his second race off a layoff.