Smarty Jones Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2020 Smarty Jones Stakes is set for Friday at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Smarty Jones Stakes Preview and Prediction
- Race: Smarty Jones Stakes
- Purse: $150,000
- Track: Oaklawn Park Race Track
- Date: January 24
- Post Time: 3:52 p.m. (CT)
- Live: 2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Odds: Click Here
2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Handicapping
Oaklawn Park kicks off their 2020 winter racing meet this Friday with the running of the Smarty Jones Stakes, a one-mile dash on the Oaklawn dirt track. The Smarty Jones is the first of four Kentucky Derby qualifying races to be run at Oaklawn, and offers qualifying points to the top four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale.
The race has drawn a field of nine, and trainer Steve Asmussen holds a strong hand, with four of the entries under his charge, including the top two choices in the pre-race odds.
Odds listed here are from Bovada’s racebook.
2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Silver Prospector Race Odds: 2-1
As we move toward late January, we start to see more horses in Derby qualifying races that have already put points on the board. That includes Silver Prospector, who grabbed 10 points with a win in the (G2) Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill. After starting his career with three runs and little success on the turf, the connections moved him to the dirt and he’s been a different horse, with two wins and a third-place finish in his last three starts.
This is trainer Asmussen’s top entry, and he’ll be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr.
2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Gold Street Race Odds: 8-1
Although it took Gold Street four starts to get his maiden win, two of those were runner-up finishes, and now he has won two in a row. Last out he took the Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans by 3 1/2 lengths and he has scored consistently high speed figures in each of his last three starts.
He’s another Steve Asmussen trainee, and Martin Garcia gets the ride.
2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Lynn’s Map Race Odds: 5-1
He was entered in last weekend’s Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds, but when Lynn’s Map drew the outside post in a 14-horse field, the connections decided to scratch him out of that race and take a shot here instead. It’s a bit of a gamble, as he comes up against a bit tougher field (he was the 3-1 second favourite in the Lecomte morning line odds). He has two wins in three lifetime starts, and will be making his stakes-racing debut.
Mark Casse trains, and Miguel Mena gets the call to ride.
2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Shoplifted Race Odds: 4-1
Another Asmussen runner, Shoplifted also already has 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points by way of winning the Springboard Mile. In doing so he popped off a 108 Equibase speed figure, much the best in this field. The concern is that was a 22-point increase over his previous best, and conventional handicapping wisdom is to expect a regression.
As mentioned, Steve Asmussen is the trainer, while Tyler Gaffalione gets the mount.
Here’s my 2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Free Pick.
It would be no surprise if Asmussen-trained horses complete the trifecta at Oaklawn on Friday, but I’m going to play Lynn’s Map in trifectas as well. Taking a bit of a price I’ll play Gold Street for the Win, and put him on top of Silver Prospector in the exacta, with both Lynn’s Map and Shoplifted underneath in the tri.
Full Field: 2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Odds
- Silver Prospector 2-1
- Shoplifted 4-1
- Three Technique 9-2
- Lynn’s Map 5-1
- Gold Street 8-1
- Nucky 12-1
- Shared Sense 12-1
- Jungle Runner 16-1
- Lykan 40-1
What do you think of our 2020 Smarty Jones Stakes Race Odds & Predictions? Weigh in below with a comment. We welcome your feedback.
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