The 2026 Kentucky Derby is two weeks away and while most handicappers are focusing in on the first Saturday in May there is a race this Saturday that is worthy of their attention.

The $1,250,000-dollar Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park feels like a throwback race in a bygone era when true horse racing heavyweights of the handicap/older male division would meet regularly in feature Stakes across the country.

Here’s a brief look at this star-studded field:

1. WHITE ABARRIO [ML 7-2] Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Returned from a layoff of more than 4 ½ months with a 2nd-place finish in the January 24th Pegasus World Cup. He faded after opening a clear lead in the stretch and may improve in his second start of the year. At his beat WHITE ABARRIO can run with anyone in here. He owns a field-best 122 top Speed Figure – but at age 7 it seems fair to ask if he has lost a step?

2. LIBERAL ARTS [ML 15-1] Jockey: Reynier Arrieta. Trainer: Heather Irion. Multiple Stakes winner makes his first start in 11 ½ months for a new trainer against a stacked field. Five-year-old was last seen winning the Knicks Go Stakes by three-quarters of a length on a sloppy track on last year’s Kentucky Derby undercard. He has finished in the top three in 10 of 13 career starts.

3. SOVEREIGNTY [ML 4-5] Jockey: Junior Alvarado. Trainer: Bill Mott. Had a dominant 3-year-old season with five wins (all at the Grade 1 or Grade 2 level) and one 2nd from six starts to earn the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year. He ran lights-out in the Travers Stakes, but will he be ready to fire that type of race in his first start since August? He won his 3-year-old debut last year after a lengthy layoff and has worked steadily since February 15th.

4. DUKE OF DUVAL [ML 20-1] Jockey: Keith Asmussen. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. He’s unplaced in two starts in Stakes races and winless in two tries at this distance. He does own a win on the Oaklawn main track, but his previous Stakes efforts and Speed Figures seem to indicate he’s in over his head here.

5. JOURNALISM [ML 5-2] Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Trainer: Michael McCarthy. He is 2-for-2 at this 1 1/8-mile distance with those victories coming last year in the Santa Anita Derby and Haskell Stakes. He too is returning from an extended layoff, as he has not raced in 5 ½ months since finishing 4th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1st at Del Mar. He has prepped for his comeback with a steady pattern of workouts since February 22nd.

6. PUBLISHER [ML 15-1] Jockey: Erik Asmussen. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Came on the radar in last year’s Kentucky Derby where he was bidding to become the fourth Maiden to win the Run for the Roses. That didn’t happen and he was winless in eight starts a year ago but has taken a nice step forward at age 4. He enters the Oaklawn Handicap on a three-race winning streak the last of which was his 1 ½ length victory at this track on March 28th in the American Pharoah Stakes. He has three wins and three 2nds in eight starts at Oaklawn.

The Oaklawn Handicap is listed as race 11 on a card of 12 with a scheduled Post Time of 7:20.

Best of luck however you play it.