Nodouble Preview: Arkansas-Breds Take Center Stage

HOT SPRINGS, AR – A full, diverse field of Arkansas-breds take center stage where the sun always shines in Saturday’s $150,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The Nodouble is a 6-furlong dirt sprint restricted to Arkansas-bred colts and geldings ages 3 and up. This year’s edition is the final event on a 10-race card and has a local post time of 5:52 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Nodouble:

1. K J’s Nobility 7/2 – He broke through to win last year’s edition of this race in his third attempt after finishing fourth and fifth the past two years, but he failed to find similar success in 6 subsequent starts. He was fifth in a state-bred optional claiming event over this course and distance last month, and the top four finishers (including his Renay Borel stablemate Bebop Shoes) all return here.

2. Captain Don 5/1 – He takes his second stab at the state-bred stakes ranks after finishing second by a 1/2-length in last year’s Rainbow Stakes over this course and distance against his own age. He nearly won a state-bred allowance here last time out, stalking the pace and leading briefly before crossing second behind Bebop Shoes, who returns here. This is his third start off the layoff.

3. Glacken’s Ghost 10/1 – He shortens up to sprinting after defeating state-bred optional claimers going a sloppy two-turn mile here last month in his first start after a brief freshening. He was third in this race last year and second in 2018’s edition, and he keeps the services of jockey Alex Canchari, who’s been aboard for 6 of his 7 victories and hits at 12% with a $2.71 ROI for the McLean Robertson barn.

4. Tempt Fate 5/2 – He returned to Carl Deville’s barn at the start of the year and won 2 straight over this course and distance against state-bred allowance and optional claiming rivals. With Florent Geroux (aboard for both victories) in Florida for the weekend, jockey Joe Talamo picks up the mount. Talamo and Deville have a 20% win rate together, accompanied by a $3.17 ROI.

5. Bebop Shoes 6/1 – He trounced state-bred rivals by 2 1/4 lengths over this course and distance last time out despite steadying early and running wide in the turn. This is his third start off the layoff; Borel claimed him for $20k out of a runner-up finish going 7 furlongs at Churchill Downs against open company last May, then gave him time off until early February, when he finished third behind Tempt Fate.

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6. Reef’s Destiny 15/1 – His 24th career start is his first at any stakes level and comes on the heels of finishing nearly 7 lengths behind winner Glacken’s Ghost last time out at the state-bred optional claiming level. He’ll likely need a career-best effort to pull the upset, but at least his current career-best was an 81 Beyer Speed Figure that he earned for winning over this course and distance last May.

7. J. E.’s Handmedown 10/1 – He returned from a five-month layoff to finish third behind Tempted Fate and Bandit Point over this course and distance, with just a nose separating him from second as a 39/1 longshot. He’s winless in 5 starts since Valorie Lund took over training duties and sheds his blinkers for his fourth start in this race; he won the 2018 edition, then was sixth in 2019 and fourth last year.

8. Man in the Can 9/2 – He was an even fourth behind Tempted Fate and others last time out, extending his slide to 4 straight off-the-board finishes since he beat open company optional claimers at Churchill Downs last June. Jockey David Cabrera, aboard for his maiden-breaking debut in late 2019, picks back up the mount and hits at 26% with a $2.33 ROI when riding for trainer Ron Moquett.

9. Bandit Point 6/1 – He won 2 straight over this course and distance heading into last year’s edition and finished second but hasn’t been able to turn the tables back since. He was runner-up over this course and distance in his past 2 starts while drawn toward the rail, so perhaps this outside draw (which he had when he won those 2 straight last spring) will help push him over the edge.