Kentucky Oaks 2015 Notes (4-27-15)
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On the Kentucky Oaks front, trainer Bob Baffert said that Maybellene, owned by his wife Jill, and Kaleem Shah’s Luminance likely would not be entered Tuesday for Friday’s $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). The likely defections would open a spot in the starting gate for Charles Fipke’s Forever Unbridled and George and Lori Hall’s Money’soncharlotte, who is currently training at Monmouth Park.
Maybellene had worked a half-mile in :48.80 after the break Monday morning. Earlier, before the break, Luminance worked five furlongs in 1:02.80.
The draw
for the Kentucky Oaks will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the
Parlay/Media Center’s media briefing room. The draw will be streamed
online at http://www.kentuckyderby.com/
KENTUCKY OAKS NOTES
ANGELA RENEE/ESKENFORMONEY – The two Longines Kentucky Oaks fillies who race out of trainer Todd Pletcher’s Churchill Downs barn – Siena Farm’s Angela Renee and Star Ladies Racing’s Eskenformoney – continued their preparations for the nine-furlong Friday race with trips to the starting gate and strong gallops Monday morning at the Louisville oval.
Angela Renee, who was partnered by exercise rider Adele Bellenger, and Eskenformoney with Ezequiel Perez in the tack were out during the special 8:30-8:45 training session for Derby/Oaks contenders. They were joined by Pletcher at the starting gate for short stand-in-the-stall sessions, then galloped roughly a mile and one half on a crisp, clear morning.
Angela Renee, who once again will have Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez on her back for the $1 million Oaks, shows two wins, two seconds and two thirds from eight starts – with earnings of $447,000 -- on her current resume. Eskenformoney, who never has been off the board in nine lifetime outings, will be handled by Javier Castellano.
BIRDATTHEWIRE – Forum Racing’s Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) winner Birdatthewire walked the shedrow for trainer Dale Romans for the second consecutive day since she worked five furlongs Saturday in 1:01.20. Romans said she’ll return to the track Tuesday. “I need two days off for her after her work,’’ he said. “She’s a little, light filly.’’
CONDO COMMANDO – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez liked how Condo Commando felt underneath him Monday morning as they galloped 1 3/8 miles during training period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks runners.
“She looked like she was very full of herself today,” Rodriguez, a former jockey, said. “Let’s keep it that way. She was a little more aggressive. She’s usually aggressive, but today we started ahead of another horses and I think she was feeling that horse behind. She galloped very good.”
Condo Commano, owned by Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables and The Elkstone Group, will be ridden by Joel Rosario.
FOREVER UNBRIDLED – Charles Fipke’s Forever Unbridled galloped a mile and three-eighths Monday under exercise rider Emerson Chavez for trainer Dallas Stewart, who remains hopeful that the filly, who stands 15th on the Oaks points list, will find a position in the starting gate.
Forever Unbridled, who has won one of five starts, has run in three stakes, all at Fair Grounds. She finished second in the Silverbulletday and third in both the Rachel Alexandra (GIII) and Fair Grounds Oaks (GII). I’m a Chatterbox won all three of those races.
“They’re solid, the ones she’s been running against,’’ Stewart said. “That form has held up just great. She’s got to be a couple of lengths better for sure to win.’’
In the Silverbulletday, Forever Unbridled finished eight lengths behind I’m a Chatterbox. In the Rachel Alexandra, Forever Unbridled finished 2 ¾ lengths behind the winner and was a neck behind runner-up Lovely Maria, who went on to win the Ashland (GI) in her next start. Also, Angela Renee, who was fourth in the Rachel Alexandra, went on to finish second in the Ashland. In the Fair Grounds Oaks, Forever Unbridled finished 2 ½ lengths behind I’m a Chatterbox and length behind runner-up Shook Up.
Stewart said that Unbridled Forever is showing signs that she’s maturing. “She’s progressed,’’ Stewart said. “You look at her work tab, she’s right there. She was three of 30 the other day, nice and easy. (He was referring to a five-furlong workout Friday in 1:01, the third fastest of 30 workouts that day at the distance.) She’s doing well. She’s eating well. She’s carrying herself well – everything that we like to see. She’s sound.’’
I’M A CHATTERBOX/LOVELY MARIA – Grayson Farm’s Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) heroine I’m a Chatterbox and Brereton Jones’ Ashland Stakes (GI) winner Lovely Maria walked the shedrow a day after posting five-furlong breezes.
“They’re really doing well,” trainer Larry Jones reported as his fillies circled Barn 43 around 7:30 a.m. “Everything looks really good for us right now.”
A two-time winner of the Kentucky Oaks with Proud Spell (2008) and Believe You Can (2012), Jones knows more than most when it comes to high-class fillies. His other top females include legends like the ill-fated Eight Belles, winner of three consecutive stakes before her game but fatal second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, and Havre de Grace, the 2011 Horse of the Year and Champion Older Mare who won three Grade I events and beat top older males in the Woodward (GI).
“I get more fillies than I do colts,” Jones said of what his owners tend to purchase. “Beyond that I really don’t know why we’ve had such good success with fillies. But I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth! The fillies just seem like they want to dominate.”
In this year’s deep and competitive renewal of the Kentucky Oaks, one advantage Jones thinks he has is the tractability of his tandem.
“My strongest suit in this race will be that neither horse is one-dimensional,” Jones said. “Both horses have gone to the lead and won from the lead, but both will stalk to win and Chatterbox has even come from dead last to win. We don’t have to play our cards instantly. We can make the race fit us instead of us having to fit the race.”
INCLUDE BETTY – Brereton Jones and Timothy Thornton’s Fantasy Stakes (GIII) winner Include Betty was out early during training hours for some light exercise. “I’m sure she just galloped or jogged,” Thornton said. “She doesn’t need much by now.”
Jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. reported that all was well with her Kentucky Oaks mount when she stopped by trainer Tom Proctor’s barn mid-morning to say hello and feed a few peppermints to the chestnut filly.
LUMINANCE/MAYBELLENE – After his two prospects worked Monday morning, trainer Bob Baffert said he was not likely to enter Kaleem Shah’s Luminance or Jill Baffert’s Maybellene in the race.
“I might not run a horse in the Oaks,” he said. “I worked them today. I wasn’t really sure; I wanted to see how they worked. It’s a tough Oaks and I might not enter a horse in the Oaks.”
Luminance covered five furlongs in 1:02.80, which was the 22nd fastest time of the 32 at the distance, and Maybellene, working in company with Lord Nelson, covered a half-mile in :48.80, ninth of 35 at the distance.
“The works were OK, but I don’t know if they are ready for that yet,” Baffert said. “There are a lot of races coming up. I wanted to get them here and watch them train. They are doing well, but I want to be in a more competitive (situation). It’s a really strong Oaks field. I’ll pick some other spots for them.”
Luminance has made three career starts and in her most recent outing was second by 5 1/2 lengths in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1). Maybellene has won three of 10 starts. She finished second in the Sunland Park Oaks but was moved to first by the disqualification of stablemate Callback.
OCEANWAVE – Gary and Mary West’s Oceanwave jogged around the Churchill Downs track Monday morning in preparation for a start in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks (GI). “She jogged today. She’ll gallop tomorrow,” trainer Wayne Catalano said.
Oceanwave, who finished a late-closing third in her debut last September at Churchill Downs, is coming off a pair of second-place finishes at Oaklawn Park in Honeybee (GIII) and Fantasy (GIII), both at 1 1/16 miles. “I think she’s a filly who’s going to love a mile-and-an-eighth in the Oaks,” Catalano said.
PUCA – Donegal Racing’s Puca went to the racetrack at Churchill Downs following the renovation break Monday morning to prepare for a scheduled start in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks. “She had a strong gallop this morning,” said Kenny McCarthy, assistant to trainer Bill Mott, who observed the morning activity before driving to Lexington.
SARAH SIS – Joe Ragsdale’s Sarah Sis had a schooling session in the little starting gate in the mile chute and then had an easy gallop under exercise rider Jesus Esquivel after the Monday morning renovation break.
Trainer Ingrid Mason is trying to keep things as routine as normal for her first Oaks appearance as she readies Honeybee (GIII) winner Sarah Sis.
“I brought seven horses down (from Chicago) and I have one more coming in,” Mason said. “The challenge is getting ready to be in a race like this. This is not a regular race. Horses are creatures of habit and if you keep a routine, they stay relaxed.
“We are all a family here and I have about half my barn here. They know me and how I do things and most importantly, they have my back.”
Gary Stevens, a two-time Oaks-winning rider, will have the mount Friday.
SHOOK UP – Regis Racing’s Shook Up walked in the shedrow the day after working a half-mile in 49.60 seconds for trainer Steve Asmussen. “(She) came out of it in really good shape,’’ Asmussen said.
STELLAR WIND – Hronis Racing’s dominant Santa Anita Oaks (GI) winner Stellar Wind got her first taste of the Churchill Downs surface right after the track opened this morning, jogging an easy one mile from the five-eighths pole under Ricardo Peniche, longtime exercise rider for trainer John Sadler.
“She jogged really nice, relaxed,” Peniche said. “No problems. She’s been relaxed and is very good. She handled the track good. She’s sharp but she handled it really nice. We are very excited about her. She’s been training great and she’s got our hopes up.”
Peniche was last at Churchill Downs in 1988 to gallop Olympic Prospect in advance of a seventh-place finish for Sadler in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI). Sadler arrives at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.
Source: Churchill Downs
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