Apple Blossom Handicap Betting Guide

One of the featured races of the season at Oaklawn Park takes place in the form of the Apple Blossom Handicap. The race attracts some of the most talented fillies and mares that are aged four and over and that promises to be no different this year.

Apple Blossom Handicap Event Details

The Apple Blossom Handicap is a Grade 1, which is open to fillies and mares that are at least four years old. It is run annually in April and takes place at Oaklawn Park, Arkansas. The race is run over 1 1/16 miles, and there is a prize purse of $1 million up for grabs.

Apple Blossom Handicap Predictions

It looks set to be one of the most exciting renewals of this race in 2021, with a number of talented horses set to be involved. You can find the horses that will be lining up for the Apple Blossom Handicap below:

• Monomoy Girl

• Swiss Skydiver

• Getridofwhatailesu

• Chance To Shine

• Letruska

The entrees for the Apple Blossom Handicap aren’t expected to be finalized until later in the week. But, it looks as though there will be a fascinating battle at the head of the betting between Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver. Monomoy Girl has been in fantastic form throughout her career, as she has been beaten on just two starts. She has won eleven times during her esteemed career, which includes her return to the track after Breeders’ Cup success last time out. The six-year-old was a two-length winner from Our Super Freak in the Grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February.

Should Swiss Skydiver declare for the race, then it could be a fascinating battle between two supremely talented horses. The four-year-old trained by Kenneth McPeek is set to run, but a final decision will be made closer to the weekend. She has won seven from 12 starts and will be eyeing a rematch with Monomoy Girl after finished eight and a quarter lengths behind her rival at the Breeders’ Cup. She returned to the track in March in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile Stakes, as she won by two and three-quarter lengths from As Time Goes By. She will be looking for a third straight Grade 1 success after winning the Preakness Stakes and Alabama Stakes last year.

Getridofwhatailesu could be lining up for the Apple Blossom Stakes after running in the Grade 2 Azeri Stakes last month. It was a solid outing on that occasion, but she was a distant two and a quarter lengths behind Shedaresthedevil. Chance To Shine for trainer Chris Hartman will also be looking for revenge after finished four lengths behind Monomoy Girl in February. She was a 40/1 shot on that occasion but will likely go off shorter here.

Letruska could be the most interesting selection for trainer Fausto Gutierrez. The five-year-old has already run on two occasions this season and was narrowly beaten by a head last time out in the Azeri Stakes. She was successful on her first outing, as she won the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes at Sam Houston. She was the Grade 3 Rampart Stakes and Grade 3 Shuvee Stakes winner last year and has a leading chance despite being up against quality opposition.

Apple Blossom Handicap Information

The Apple Blossom Handicap has been a common race on the American calendar since being established in 1958. The distance has varied throughout its history, with the race reverting back to 1 1/16 miles back in 2011. It was run over 1 1/8 miles back in 2010, which was the last different distance covered in the Apple Blossom Handicap.

It has been an annual race on the American calendar since 1968, with the purse increasing in 1973 after becoming a graded race. The record for the quickest time in the race was set by Heatherten in 1984, as she completed the race in a time of 1:40.29. Azeri is the most successful horse in the history of the race, as she won three times between 2002 and 2004.

Mike E. Smith is the most successful jockey, as he won on six occasions. William I. Mott is the most dominant trainer, as his win with Close Hatches was his fourth success in 2014.

How to Bet on the Apple Blossom Handicap

There are a number of different betting options for gamblers when it comes to the competitive Apple Blossom Handicap. You can learn more about the markets available to bet on below:

• Win: Wagers can be placed on the horse that will cross the line first. Winnings will be awarded if the gambler has placed their stake on the horse first past the post.

• Place: Leading sportsbooks will offer place betting, which means customers can get returns on their selection should it come in the first two.

• Exacta: Wagers can be placed on the first two horses that will cross the line first. To get returns, stakes must be wagered on the winner and the runner-up, and they must be correct.