Oaks prep: Simply Joking goes gate to wire in Silverbulletday
Simply Joking passed her two-turns test with flying colors, leading all the way Saturday in the black-type, $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds. The Whit Beckman trainee earned 20 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
“That was exactly how I thought it would go right there,” Beckman said.
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Guided by Jamie Torres, Simply Joking covered one mile and 70 yards in 1:44.30 over a sloppy main track, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Bless the Broken. Beckman has saddled the winners of both local Oaks preps. Her Laugh took the Untapable in December. The 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra (G2) on Feb. 15.
“We’ve still got a lot of ground between here and (the Oaks),” Beckman said. “We’re giving them each challenges, and they’re accepting every one. We’ll see how it all falls and see (whether Simply Joking or Her Laugh) is better suited for the Rachel Alexandra.”
Stretching to two turns for the first time, Simply Joking made an easy move to the lead and set honest early fractions of 23.70 and 47.53 seconds. Stalked by her stablemate Drexel Hill, the eventual winner never was menaced as neither Drexel Hill nor trackers Chasten and Golden Gamble could go on with her at the top of the stretch through three-quarters in 1:12.84 and a mile in 1:39.78.
“I was very comfortable on her the way she was traveling the track,” Torres said. “She did everything herself. She was a little bit green at the end waiting on company, but she was much the best. We thought she’d get better going two turns.
Bless the Broken came on late to finish second, scoring 10 Oaks points. Simply Joking’s stablemate Drexel Hill hung on late to finish third and earn six points, bringing her total to seven when adding her fifth-place finish in the Untapable. Chasten ran fourth for four points. Adding to the six points she won when second in the Untapable, Golden Gamble ran fifth to earn two more for a total of seven Oaks qualifying points.
She’s a Swede (12-1) was far back finishing last of the six 3-year-old fillies. California Sunset and Gowells Delight were scratched.
Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Simply Joking paid $5.40, $3.40, and $2.80. Bless the Broken (16-1) returned $9.00 and $5.20. Drexel Hill paid $4.20 to show.
Along with her debut win in the Letellier Stakes, Simply Joking is perfect in two races with $153,000 in earnings.
Bred in Pennsylvania by Barlar, Simply Joking was sold to Grantley Acres for $65,000 during the Keeneland yearling sale in September 2023. Also owned by Ryan Conner and Berkels0813, she was a first-time winner by a neck Dec. 21 in the six-furlong Letellier Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds.
The Rachel Alexandra will offer 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points to its top five finishers.