Comebacking 3-Year-Old Disarm Looks to Fire at Oaklawn

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Disarm —who closed at 50-1 odds in the Kentucky Derby Future Pool Feb. 13, the 17th choice among individual betting interests—returns from a six-month layoff Feb. 19 at Oaklawn Park in the eighth race, a $103,000 first-level allowance optional claiming race at a mile.

Disarm is unraced since the summer at Saratoga Race Course, when he won a seven-furlong maiden race by 6 1/4 lengths in his second outing Aug. 6. In his only prior start, he ran third June 19 in his debut at Churchill Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

He has been training at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots over the winter, twice recording bullet workouts this month. Ricardo Santana Jr. picks up the ride.

Bred by his owner, Disarm is by Gun Runner   out of the Tapit   mare Easy Tap , making him related to two other black-type horses led by the minor stakes-winning Tap Daddy .

Sunday's race will be his first route. Mile races at Oaklawn begin and end at what is typically the sixteenth pole.

His principal opposition is expected to come from Wild Mule , Two Eagles River , and Recker Point —three colts with experience in the allowance optional claiming ranks. Wild Mule was second in a sprint Jan. 20, and Two Eagles Rider and Recker Point were third and fourth, respectively, behind the grade 1-placed Verifying  in a mile race Jan. 14.