On April 18, 2026, Oaklawn stages the Grade II OP Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on dirt, a major older-horse feature carrying a purse of $1,250.00. This race has produced a strong recent roll of winners, with Mb Stables taking editions in 2017, 2020, and 2024, while Night Rider Stables captured the last two renewals with Home Spirit and Big Bang Boom.

Without Warning brings top-shelf company lines for owner-trainer TwinTowersRacing and probable jockey Geroux F. The four-year-old has been facing the best of his division, including the Pegasus World Cup, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pennsylvania Derby, Travers, and Haskell. He was competitive for a long way in the Pegasus before fading to fourth and then did not sustain his run in the New Orleans Classic. His body of work says he belongs, but his 2026 form has been more solid than explosive. Against this field, he looks like a serious contender if he can sit just off the pace and finish more sharply. Chance: 5-1.

Criminal Law, from owner-trainer D J C Racing Stables with probable jockey Centeno D E, is a capable four-year-old who won a state-bred optional claimer at Aqueduct in January before finishing eighth in the Gulfstream Park Mile. He did win the Ontario Derby last fall at this same 1 1/8-mile trip, which matters here, and he has generally held his own in deeper spots. Still, his recent form suggests he may need a step forward to beat several of these. Chance: 12-1.

Test The Waters gives Mb Stables one of several strong hands, with Santana R Jr named. He won a Tampa optional claimer in February, then stepped into the Santa Anita Handicap and was beaten four lengths after pressing early. His profile is that of a versatile, seasoned runner who can carry speed and keep fighting, and his long record shows consistency against good company on both dirt and turf. He is not the flashiest entrant, but he is very usable underneath and not impossible on the win end. Chance: 8-1.

Berlin, for owner-trainer The Sidley Stud and probable jockey Lopez P, looks like the horse to beat. He just won the Kentucky Cup Classic in decisive fashion, and before that he was third in the Challenger and had been competing in Grade I company late last season. He is an eight-year-old, but the form remains strong, and he owns a deep record at the 1 1/8-mile distance with ten wins and more than $4,038.100 earned in routes. He has the class edge, the current form, and the kind of tactical speed that should fit this race beautifully. Chance: 5-2.

Black Swan Event, representing Team 7 Illusions with probable jockey Bejarano R, has not yet fired in two 2026 starts, but his 2025 campaign was useful and included a second in the Clark and a win in an open claimer at Churchill Downs. He has been working sharply at Oaklawn coming into this spot, which hints that better may be on the way. He is a fringe contender if he rebounds, though he still must show more than he did in the Razorback. Chance: 10-1.

Heart Of Genghis gives Night Rider Stables a very dangerous entrant with probable jockey Jaramillo E. The seven-year-old won the Challenger at Tampa in March and last year captured the Woodward while also scoring in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker. He is admirably consistent at longer dirt trips and has enough tactical range to adapt to different shapes. He is one of the more accomplished route horses in the lineup and absolutely fits this race on both class and current form. Chance: 4-1.

Individuation, another for Mb Stables, gets Dettori L and brings the biggest bankroll in the field at $8,515.62. He was second in the Santa Anita Handicap in his latest after winning an allowance at Tampa, and last year he was a graded stakes force in multiple spots. He has tremendous back class and knows how to finish, but he also gives away a bit of early position at times and may need the right setup. Even so, his class makes him impossible to dismiss. Chance: 7-2.

Declaration, for Team 7 Illusions and probable jockey Franco M, is a lightly raced four-year-old trying to jump forward in a big way. He was seventh in the Stymie after a sharp allowance win at Churchill last fall. He has talent and some upside but compared with the more exposed graded horses in here, he looks more like a reach unless he improves significantly. Chance: 15-1.

Wild Card Weekend, from owner-trainer Night Rider Stables with probable jockey Castellano J J, has quietly put together a very solid dirt form cycle. He was third in the New Orleans Classic after finishing second in the Mineshaft, and before that he won the Pincay. He is not as decorated as some of the bigger names, but he is in form, handles the distance, and has shown he can stay involved throughout. He feels like a live outsider who could hit the board and perhaps more if the race softens up late. Chance: 6-1.

Edward The Good is the third major threat from Mb Stables, with Velazquez J R up. He won the Razorback in his latest and was second in a Houston allowance before that. Last season he ran well in elite sprint company, including a close second in the Forego, and now appears to be thriving as a two-turn dirt horse. He has current form, tactical adaptability, and a strong recent work tab. He is a major player and one of the most likely winners. Chance: 3-1.

Pace and Race Shape

There is enough speed and forward intent here to ensure an honest pace, though it does not look absolutely reckless. Test The Waters, Berlin, Without Warning, and Edward The Good all have the kind of positioning style that should keep them close early, while Heart Of Genghis and Individuation can settle and make their move at the right time. Wild Card Weekend also fits as a tracking type who could get first run if the leaders hesitate. The pace looks likely to be contested but not collapsing, which should favor a runner with tactical speed and proven route stamina.

Projected Winner

Berlin gets the nod. He enters off a winning graded performance, owns the strongest combination of current form and route dirt class, and looks poised to work out the right trip for The Sidley Stud. Edward The Good and Heart Of Genghis look like the main dangers, with Individuation and Without Warning rounding out the top tier. Projected winner: Berlin.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES