HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Lovely Ride appears to have a distinct tactical advantage in the $150,000 Pippin, a race for fillies and mares that she will attempt to win for the second year in a row Saturday at Oaklawn. Lovely Ride looks like the controlling speed in the 1 1/16-mile race that drew four others, including Butterbean, Ice Orchid, Misty Veil, and Tiz a Macho Girl. Lovely Ride will break from the rail under Cristian Torres, who was aboard last year when Lovely Ride wired the field in the Pippin. “We’re not going to change anything up,” said Robertino Diodoro, who trains Lovely Ride. “She does her best running on the lead and that’s where we plan on going.” Lovely Ride broke well in last month’s Mistletoe at Oaklawn, but found herself tracking from the rail in the field of 10. She then hit traffic into the final turn and was forced to check sharply just as she was making a move for the lead. Lovely Ride restarted, but ended up seventh behind winner Butterbean, runner-up Misty Veil, and third-place finisher Ice Orchid. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. “Nothing went right,” Diodoro said. “She’s doing well. She looks great. I really think she can redeem herself on Saturday.” Lovely Ride will be looking for the fifth stakes win of her career. She races for John Holleman, Flying P Stable, and Larry Nafe. Butterbean also is looking for her fifth stakes win. She closed with good energy to catch Misty Veil for a half-length win in the Mistletoe, a mile race that ended at the sixteenth pole at Oaklawn. “We were thrilled with her race,” said trainer Kenny McPeek. “She’s been such a hard-knocker. We had been thinking about maybe breeding her in the spring. We’ll let her tell us.” Butterbean on Saturday will be moving back to the distance of her win in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks in 2022. The added stretch she picks up might also benefit her closing style. Julien Leparoux was aboard last time and has the mount again from post 3. Butterbean needs pace to fuel her run and would be well served if Ice Orchid, who has shown speed in the past, goes with Lovely Ride. There’s a chance newcomer Tiz a Macho Girl could show some speed, too. However, both horses have been effective from off the pace in recent times. Ice Orchid closed from seventh for a close third in the Mistletoe and Tiz a Macho Girl stalked the pace before winning a mile allowance last out at Delta Downs. Ice Orchid, who has placed in five stakes, will break from post 5. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for trainer John Ortiz. Tiz a Macho Girl, who has won three stakes, breaks from post 4. Harry Hernandez has the mount for trainer Justin Evans. Misty Veil starts from post 2 under Ramon Vazquez. She rallied from fifth in the Mistletoe. The mare, who has placed in three stakes, is trained by Mike Maker. ◗ Highland Falls, a son of Round Pond, a Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner who captured both the Fantasy and Azeri at Oaklawn, goes in the eighth race. The two-other-than allowance is at 1 1/16 miles. ◗ In the third race, Macho Villa will attempt to become the seventh next-out winner to emerge from an Aug. 20 maiden special weight at Saratoga. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.