Oaklawn Horse Racing Picks for Friday 3/31/23

The Oaklawn meet continues and Friday's card includes 9 races and starts at 1:35 p.m. ET. Saturday's big day of racing includes the Arkansas Derby - a Championship Series Kentucky Derby prep race.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes. Monitor the weather with rain in the forecast in Hotsprings, AR, and keep an eye on the track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races after adjusting for track, distances, and conditions).

Oaklawn Betting Picks

According to numberFire horse racing projections, these are the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

1. Connie K and Kaboom Baby, Race 7

FanDuel Racing Odds: 9/5 and 7/5
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 7 is an Allowance race for state-bred fillies and mares sprinting 6 furlongs. The numberFire algorithm projects Connie K (9/5) and Kaboom Baby (7/5) to sprint down the late stretch and decide the winner. Connie K won at this level in Nov. with her best speed figure (91). She's won 5-of-10 starts and finished second and third in her starts since that win including pace-pressing minor stakes as the favorite a month ago.

2. Matareye and Wicked Halo, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2 and 2/1
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 9 is the $250,000 Matron Stakes for older fillies and mares sprinting 6 furlongs. The numberFire data picks Matareye (5/2) and Wicked Halo (2/1) as top win contenders. Matareye beat some of these opponents last year, and Guaranteed Tip Sheet notes she won four straight races last year including three graded stakes before finishing third in a Grade 1 race at her last start in August. She's working well for her 2023 debut and finished second in her only start at Oaklawn. Wicked Halo also won four-straight races last year before finishing third in her last race in Nov. at the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Pretty Bride (7/2) has performed well at the track and makes her second start after a layoff.

3. Ninja Warrior and Prodigious Bay, Race 10

FanDuel Racing Odds: 9/5 and 6/1
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel
Race 10 is a Starter Allowance for 3-year-olds and older at 1 mile. The numberFire data projects another favorite Ninja Warrior (9/5) to win and Prodigious Bay (6/1) to finish in the money. Ninja Warrior won here at this level in Dec. and then finished second by a head as the favorite a month ago sprinting 6 furlongs and posting her highest speed figure (103) in eight starts.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.