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DRF Thursday ROTD Listening Edition | Fifth Season Stakes @ Oaklawn | February 5, 2026

·16 min·1 clip
David Aragona and Mike Beer analyze the Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn, where favorite Pony Express faces a speed duel with last year's Southwest winner.
The episode is a handicapping analysis of the Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park, originally scheduled for Friday but moved to Thursday. Hosts David Aragona and Mike Beer examine each of the nine horses in the field. They start with the favorite, Pony Express, discussing his speed, rail draw, and recent layoff. The analysis includes the Timeform US pace projector, which shows Pony Express and Speed Kig as the likely front-runners. For each horse, the hosts review past performances, running styles, and recent form. Key discussions include Seize the Night's third attempt at this race, Thought That Counts's suitability for two turns, and Camorra Bino Amoide's recent losses. They also cover longshots like American Law and Runaway Again, the latter being a Canadian Triple Crown winner trying dirt again. The episode concludes with final picks: Aragona selects Pony Express, Seize the Night, Camorra Bino Amoide, and Will Take It, while Beer chooses Will Take It, Pony Express, Thought That Counts, and Seize the Night. Throughout, the hosts reference free past performances available on DRF.com and include sponsor messages for MorningLine.

As heard by us

Oaklawn's Fifth Season Stakes hinges on the rail, the pace, and whether the short stretch gives anyone enough time to reel in Pony Express.

David Aragona and Mike Beer keep the focus on Oaklawn Park for the DRF Thursday Race of the Day, where the Fifth Season Stakes turns into a mile test shaped by the rail, the pace, and the track's short stretch.

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Why you'd press play

A mile at Oaklawn gives you a rail-speed setup and a price horse worth a look.

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