Making the Grade, which will run through the 2021 Triple Crown races, focuses on the winners or top performers of the key races, usually from the previous weekend, who could make an impact on the Triple Crown. We’ll be profiling impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win classic races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner, trainer, jockey), and pedigree.

Oaklawn Park’s jockey colony has grown more competitive as the purses have increased throughout the past decade. Two recent notable additions are Joe Talamo, who is in Hot Springs for his second full season, and Florent Geroux, who is wintering at Oaklawn for the first time.