SportsLine horse racing writer Gene Menez reveals his Oaklawn Handicap 2025 picks after evaluating the contenders
It will be a family affair for Steve Asmussen when his two sons will race against each other at the 2025 Oaklawn Handicap on Saturday. Keith J. Asmussen will ride Disarm, a five-year-old with four first-place finishes in 11 career starts. Younger brother Erik will ride Red Route One, who is coming off of a win at the Essex Handicap. Disarm and Red Route One are 10-1 and 15-1, respectfully, among the 2025 Oaklawn Handicap horses. Post time for Saturday’s race is 7:10 p.m. ET. First Mission is the 2-1 favorite in the 2025 Oaklawn Hand
icap odds, followed by Skippylongstocking at 5-2 Banishing at 7-2. With eight seasoned racers set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you’ll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say before making any 2025 Oaklawn Handicap picks or horse racing predictions.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In May of last year, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. Last November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders’ Cup Saturday for a $5,303 score.
For Saturday, Menez has made his picks in the 2025 Oaklawn Handicap field and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Oaklawn Handicap predictions
One surprise: Menez is fading First Mission, even though he is the betting favorite at 2-1. The expert acknowledges that this four-year-old son of Street Sense had a six-month layoff before his last race, the Razorback Handicap. First Mission still finished a solid third by a neck, but Menez has questions about his consistency ahead of the Oaklawn Handicap 2025.
“First Mission should be better making his second start off the layoff. But his 2-1 odds are too short a price to pay in this evenly matched field,” Menez told SportsLine. You can see all of Menez’s 2025 Oaklawn Handicap bets here.
How to make 2025 Oaklawn Handicap picks
Instead, Menez’s top pick is a double-digit longshot who “has every reason to improve” on Saturday. He is including this horse in his 2025 Oaklawn Handicap bets, and so should you. He’s sharing which horses to back at SportsLine.
So what horse wins the Oaklawn Handicap 2025? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Menez’s picks for the 2025 Oaklawn Handicap, all from the expert who just nailed the Florida Derby, and find out.
2025 Oaklawn Handicap odds, contenders, post positions
| Horse | Odds | Picks |
| Go West Go | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Disarm | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| First Mission | 2-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Skippylongstocking | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
| Alexander Helios | 4-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Tarantino | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Banishing | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| Red Route One | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
