Kentucky Oaks notes: Kathleen O. among 4 working at Churchill Downs

Four Kentucky Oaks candidates had their final works Saturday morning at Churchill Downs: Candy Raid (half-mile in 48.80 seconds), Cocktail Moments (five furlongs in 1:00.80), Kathleen O. (half-mile in 47.80) and Nostalgic (half-mile in 48.60).

Working this morning at Santa Anita was Desert Dawn (five furlongs in 1:00.60).

Scheduled for a final work Sunday is the undefeated Echo Zulu at Churchill Downs.

KATHLEEN O. – Winngate Stables’ Kathleen O. worked a half-mile in 47.80 with exercise rider David Jego up Saturday morning.

Working with 3-year-old allowance winner Smokin’ T, Kathleen O. produced fractions of 23.8, 47.8 and out five-eighths in 1:00.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said Kathleen O. works best with a target.

“She’s not necessarily a strong morning worker,” McGaughey said. “So we’re very pleased with what we saw today. I’m excited … we’re excited. We got through today and we know she always shows up on race day.

“This morning was right up there with some of her best. We’re glad to be back in Kentucky with her and we’re thinking with her running style she’ll appreciate the longer stretch here (at Churchill Downs).”

CANDY RAID – Trainer Keith Desormeaux said Saturday morning’s workout went well for Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and Desormeux’s Candy Raid.

Candy Raid worked a half-mile in :48.40 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:01.40 with exercise rider Alex Cano aboard. It was her first work here since she was stabled here last fall and made one start.

“She did great out there,” Desormeaux said. “She is very confident, very sound. Happy, fit, confident, sound—that’s all I can do.” 

COCKTAIL MOMENTS – Dixiana Farms’ Cocktail Moments worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 with her  Kentucky Oaks rider, Corey Lanerie.

“She’s doing great, and she put in a good work. We worked her in the second set after the break today,” trainer Kenny McPeek said of Cocktail Moments who was second to Nest in the Ashland (GI) in her most recent start. “She’s going to have to have some things set up for her, and she’ll have to run the race of her life. It’s a good group, and our expectations are modest, but she’s ready.”

NOSTALGIC – Godolphin’s Nostalgic completed her major preparation for this year’s Longines Kentucky Oaks with a half-mile move in :48.60 inside of stablemate Mendenhall.

Nostalgic, ridden by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s go-to exercise rider Penny Gardiner, completed early fractions of :12.40 and :24.40. The Gazelle (G3) winner galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60.

DESERT DAWN, AIN’T EASY – Trainer Phil D’Amato sent Desert Dawn, his 3-year-old daughter of Cupid through a five-furlong drill of 1:00.60 at Santa Anita Saturday morning with jockey Ryan Curatolo aboard. She went at about 6:30 on a fast track and made her conditioner “very happy.”  

“It was a good work,” her 46-year-old horseman said. “She was breezing all the way. It made me very happy.”  

The bay Arizona-bred miss has won twice in seven starts, but her most recent effort was her best when she dug in late to capture the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) at the California track on April 9 by a neck. Umberto Rispoli rode her that afternoon and will be in the tack for next Friday’s Kentucky Oaks.  

Both Desert Dawn and stablemate Ain’t Easy – who was considered for the Kentucky Oaks but now has been shifted to a start in Friday’s Grade 2 Eight Belles – will be on a plane out of California early Sunday morning with several other runners with dates to dance at Churchill Downs next weekend, including the Kentucky Derby-bound duo of Taiba and Messier. The horses then will be vanned to Louisville in a trip that should take approximately 2 1/2 hours.  

D’Amato will take a plane of his own from California and hopes to meet up with his charges Monday morning on the Churchill backside.  

ECHO ZULU –– L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Echo Zulu galloped at her usual 5:30 time under exercise rider Wilson Fabian, preparing for her Sunday morning workout. With rain in the overnight forecast, according to assistant trainer Scott Blasi she will head out to the track rain or shine. 

GODDESS OF FIRE, NEST, SHAHAMA – Trainer Todd Pletcher had his three Kentucky Oaks fillies work Friday morning at Churchill Downs. On Saturday he had two of them – Goddess of Fire and Shahama – merely walk the shedrow at his Barn 35. But the other, four-time winner and one of the Oaks favorites Nest, was the first one on the racetrack for the special Derby/Oaks training period between 7:30-7:45 a.m. at Churchill Downs.

With exercise rider Nora McCormack in the boot, the bay daughter of Curlin galloped a mile out in the middle of the racetrack, then easily sauntered back to the barn.

Nest will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. when she goes in Friday’s Grade I, $1.25 million Run for the Lilies.

HIDDEN CONNECTION – Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds’ Hidden Connection had a scheduled walk day in trainer Bret Calhoun’s Barn 28 following her half-mile move in :50.20 Friday.

SECRET OATH – Briland Farm’s Longines Kentucky Oaks contender Secret Oath was one of the first horses on the Churchill Downs surface Saturday morning and galloped 1 ½ miles with regular exercise rider Danielle Rosier in the saddle.

TURNERLOOSE – Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Turnerloose had a walk day in trainer Brad Cox’s Barn 22 following her five-eighths work Friday in 1:01.20.

VENTI VALENTINE – NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Gazelle (G3) runner-up Venti Valentine had a light day walking the shedrow after putting in her final workout a day earlier for Friday’s Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). With Tyler Gaffalione aboard, she worked fivefurlongs in 1:00.80.

Trainer Jorge Abreu said she came out of her Friday breeze in good shape. “All she’s gonna do now is jog tomorrow (Sunday) and gallop into the race.”

YUUGIRI – Tsunebumi and Sekie Yoshihara’s Fantasy GIII) winner Yuugiri put in her final work for the Kentucky Oaks by breezing a half-mile in :49.20 in company with Barossa over a fast track Saturday morning at Keeneland.

“We wanted to beat the rain (that was in the forecast), so we worked today,” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who was aboard for the work.

Fractions on the work were :12.80, :25.40, :37.80 and :49.20. Yuugiri galloped out the five furlongs in 1:01.80 in what was her third work since winning the Fantasy on April 2 at Oaklawn Park.

“I was very happy with the work; it was similar to her last work before the Fantasy,” Brisset said. “Hopefully she looks good tomorrow morning and we will bring her over in the afternoon.”

Florent Geroux, who has won the Oaks twice, will have the mount.