PAULIE PICKS -- OAKS HORSES TO WATCH

BELLFINA LOOKS THE BEST OF THE BUNCH

The Oaks may not be nearly interesting as the Kentucky Derby this year in terms of multiple contenders poised to win. BELLAFINA, from the West Coast, has been solid, spectacular and won four in a row since her 4th place finish in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill last fall. That finish was attributed to the horse "being in heat" according to the barn. 

She toyed with a small field in the Santa Anita Oaks before drawing off to win by five lengths. Flavian Prat is a great rider, Simon Callaghan a respected trainer and if you can get 2-1 odds on her, run to the betting machine as fast as you can. My guess is she'll be even money or lower when they break from the gate on May 3rd. 

CHAMPAGNE  ANYONE is an interesting filly. She finally got a win in the Gulfstream Oaks after her prior three career starts...and at 7-1...stalking the pace and holding off Dunbar Road when Chris Landeros took her to the lead in the stretch. Ian Wilkes brings them along slowly, at times, and this one's best race may still be in the future...but if you see 10-1 on her, you might want to invest a small wager. 

OUT FOR A SPIN cause quite the commotion when she won the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland at a whopping 52-1 odds. Journeyman jockey Paco Lopez pulled the upset with a nice move on the turn and held off incomng Restless Rider (maybe another horse to consider?) for Dallas Stewart. She had been running allowance company stuff at Fairgrounds before the win in Lexington and had won her last, but this huge jump and ultimate win baffled the bettors. Can she keep it going? If I get 20-1 on her, Ill be willing to lay down a few coins to find out. 

LIORA . Let's not forget she won the Goldenrod last fall at Churchill and beat Champagne Anyone and Restless Rider in that one. Maybe a horse for the course? A front running wire-to-wire nose victory in the slop over Restless Rider, but...at 27-1 odds and she held off the challenge(s).  She's hd a bit of "second-itis" since then, but watch her if the Oaks is contested in the slop.  She just might wire them all again for Wayne Catalano. Expect about the same odds Oaks Day. 

LADY APPLE .  Winner of three straight, including the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park, she's one of Steve Asmussen's runners and Ricardo Santana was on board for that rail-skimming ride. LADY APPLE stalked the pace-setters and favorites (Motion Emotion and Brill) who just might have worn themselves out in the duel, and she got through on the inside and forged ahead with a few steps to go. I doubt she can repeat that in the Oaks, but I'll throw her in all the "exotics" and hope for the best. 15-1, if you're lucky, on her...is my guess