Kentucky Oaks: Saturday works include points leader Tarifa

With two weeks remaining until the 150th running of the Kentucky Oaks (G1), the action was non-stop on a chilly Saturday morning at Churchill Downs as 12 contenders recorded published workouts beneath the Twin Spires.

Five horses who have qualified for the main field worked Saturday. Those include Gin Gin, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.8; Into Champagne, who covered five furlongs in 1:00.2; Lemon Muffin, who did five furlongs in 1:02.2; Tarifa, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.8 and Thorpedo Anna, who went five furlongs in 1:00.6.

Two horses on the outside looking in worked as well. Impel, who needs four defections to get into the Kentucky Oaks, worked four furlongs in 49.6 seconds. Band of Gold, who needs seven, covered five furlongs in 1:00.8 in company with stablemate Thorpedo Anna.

After sending out Kentucky Derby contenders Catching Freedom and Just a Touch, trainer Brad Cox worked his Oaks contenders, Godolphin’s Tarifa and Calumet Farm’s Gin Gin, together. Tarifa won both the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). Gin Gin won the Busanda at Aqueduct, and earned points in four other races including both the Rags to Riches and the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs.

The duo began their work at the 4 1/2-furlong marker with Tarifa breezing to the outside of her stablemate while completing modest early fractions of 13.0 and 37.2 seconds. They galloped out together six furlongs in 1:14.2.

D. Wayne Lukas worked his Kentucky Oaks contender Lemon Muffin five furlongs in 1:02.2. Owned by Aaron Sones, Lemon Muffin qualified for the Oaks by winning the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn.

Trainer Kenny McPeek’s Kentucky Oaks contender, Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing’s Thorpedo Anna, breezed at 7:30 a.m. EDT. Thorpedo Anna, the winner of the Fantasy (G2) at Oaklawn, is expected to be one of the favorites for this year’s Kentucky Oaks.

Thorpedo Anna worked outside of stablemate Band of Gold, who is possible to run in the Oaks should enough defections occur. However, Band of Gold needs seven horses removed from Kentucky Oaks consideration before she would gain a spot.

“She’s a super nice filly,” McPeek said. “I was very impressed with how easily she was able to win the Fantasy off the layoff and she’s run very well over this surface here at Churchill. … They better bring a bear (in the Oaks) because I’m bringing a grizzly. I wouldn’t be afraid to run her against the colts.”

Another Kentucky Oaks hopeful to work was Six Column Stables, Randy Bloch, Jim Gladden, Mike Davis and Michael Steel’s Into Champagne. The talented 3-year-old filly worked outside her stablemate Kiss Me Again through an opening quarter-mile of 24.4 seconds and galloped out several lengths in front of her workmate through six furlongs in 1:13.8.

Into Champagne, winner of the Glitter Woman at Gulfstream in January, earned her Kentucky Oaks spot with a second-place finish in the Davona Dale (G2) and a third-place effort in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).