Sunday's Kentucky Oaks 2016 Barn Notes

CARINA MIA – Three Chimneys Farm’s Carina Mia, 17th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, galloped after the renovation break under exercise rider Penny Gardiner for trainer Bill Mott.

The filly is scheduled to work Monday morning, Mott indicated.

“We have until Tuesday to make a choice,” Mott said of whether to enter the Oaks and hope for defections, or enter Friday’s $200,000 Eight Belles (GII).

CATHRYN SOPHIA – Cathryn Sophia's trainer John Servis reported by text that the daughter of Street Boss was scheduled to leave Keeneland by van for Churchill Downs at approximately 11:15 a.m. today.

Cash is King's Cathryn Sophia, winner of her first four starts before finishing third in the Central Bank Ashland (GI) on April 9 at Keeneland, is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs around 1 this afternoon and be housed in Barn 43.

DOTHRAKI QUEEN – Magdalena Racing’s Dothraki Queen, 16th on the Oaks leaderboard, had a walk day at trainer Kenny McPeek’s barn.

DREAM DANCE – Stoneway Farm’s Dream Dance jogged 1 1/8 miles under exercise rider Joel Dominguez before the renovation break.

Trainer Neil Howard, who saddled 2000 Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Status, picked up his 301st Churchill Downs victory Saturday night when Tanzen won the sixth race.

GO MAGGIE GO – Mike Tarp’s Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) winner Go Maggie Go jogged two miles on the Churchill Downs main track with exercise rider Tammy Fox in the irons after the renovation break for trainer Dale Romans.

LAND OVER SEA – The Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) winner Land Over Sea took an easy tour of the Churchill Downs oval Sunday morning at approximately 9 o’clock with exercise rider Jonny Garcia aboard. It was her first sample of the historic Louisville track and – though the strip was sloppy and had been sealed in advance of the morning activity – she paid no attention to it.

Trainer Doug O’Neill – who Saturday will saddle the Kentucky Derby favorite in Nyquist – will give rider Mario Gutierrez a leg up on Land Over Sea Friday when she goes for glory in the $1,000,000 Oaks.

The Churchill Downs race will mark the sixth track the daughter of Bellamy Road has tested in what will be her ninth career start. She’s been out of the money only once so far for owner Paul Reddam and appears likely to be among the favorites for the Run for the Lilies.

LEWIS BAY – Alpha Delta Stables’ Lewis Bay, convincing winner of the Gazelle Stakes (GII) at Aqueduct last month, jogged one mile at about 7 a.m.

“She’s doing great” trainer Chad Brown said. “When I handicap the race, I see a handful of horses that can win it but she is one of that handful. I’ve been impressed with several of the Oaks fillies this week watching them train here. It’s a wide-open race.”

When Brown hangs out on the outside rail in the mornings he follows more than just his own charges, especially on days leading up to big events such as the Derby or Breeders’ Cup.

“I always like to see what I’m running against,” Brown said. “It doesn’t affect how I prepare but it helps me to handicap the race. It gives me a feel for the level of competition for that race. Also I might pick up a couple of things about how another trainer is preparing for a situation that I can learn from. I’m always open to a different way of doing things.”

MARQUEE MISS – Trainer Ingrid Mason, aboard her stable pony, escorted multiple stakes winner Marquee Miss to the track for the first time since a Friday workout for an easy one-mile gallop.

The filly, who is sitting at No. 18 on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, is more likely to make her next start in the Eight Belles Stakes (GII) on the same Friday card.

MO D’AMOUR/RACHEL’S VALENTINA – Trainer Todd Pletcher’s duo of Rachel’s Valentina and Mo d’Amour continued on their path to Friday’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks (GI) with simple one-mile jogs Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

Both fillies were dressed out in their pink saddle cloths and their white bridles for their leg-stretching during the special 15-minute session starting at 8:30 that is reserved for the Oaks and Kentucky Derby horses. Rachel’s Valentina had her regular exercise rider – Amy Mullen – attached for the exercise, while Mo d’Amour was partnered by Hector Ramos.

The bred-in-the-purple Rachel’s Valentina – she’s by top sire Bernardini out of champion and recent Hall of Fame inductee Rachel Alexandra – will be among the favorites for the nine-furlong testing that normally points out the best 3-year-old filly in the land.

John Velazquez rides Rachel’s Valentina, while Joel Rosario has the call on Mo d’Amour.

MOKAT – JK Racing Stable’s Mokat jogged one mile and galloped 1 1/4 miles under Martin Ruiz during the 15-minute Oaks and Derby training session.

“I was really happy with her today,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “She warmed up real fast, galloped really nice, got over the surface good. She was just a lot looser today. Overall I’m very happy if she stays this way and she might even get better.”

Flavien Prat, the second-leading rider at Santa Anita Park’s winter meet, will be aboard Mokat for the third straight time. Baltas likes that Pratt understands the filly’s preferred style and blamed a misjudged ride for her only off-the-board finish in four starts this year.

“She can’t run up close,” the trainer said. “She wants to get her feet underneath her and then she makes her run. Her one bad race the jockey moved to soon on her. He thought there was no speed in the race and he put her on the lead and that just didn’t work. Flavien knows her and I like the way he rides her. He knows she can’t be up in it from the beginning.

“He’s a good rider – strong, with a good head on his shoulders, and a strong finisher. He’s got a big future.”

NICKNAME/ROYAL OBSESSION/TAXABLE/TERRA PROMESSA – Trainer Steve Asmussen's Kentucky Oaks hopefuls galloped a mile-and-a-half Sunday before the renovation break.

Exercise rider Carlos Rosas was aboard LNJ Foxwoods' Nickname and Stonestreet Stables’ Royal Obsession. Exercise rider Abel Flores was on Stonestreet's Terra Promessa and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Taxable.

The fillies will have half-mile workouts Monday, Asmussen said.

PAOLA QUEEN – Grupo 7C Racing Stable’s Paola Queen galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider J.J. Delgado before 7 o’clock over a sloppy track.

Runner-up in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in her most recent start, Paola Queen is 15th on the Oaks leaderboard. No rider has been confirmed for the daughter of Flatter.

VENUS VALENTINE – Rosemont Farm's Venus Valentine galloped a mile and a half Sunday morning under exercise rider Maurice Sanchez for trainer Tom Amoss. The filly will school in the starting gate Monday, Amoss said.

Shaun Bridgmohan, who rode Venus Valentine in an allowance/optional claiming race on turf in January at Fair Grounds, has picked up the mount for the Oaks. Corey Lanerie rode her in her past two starts – a fifth-place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) and a victory in the Rachel Alexandra (GII). But Lanerie, who won the Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Weep No More, will be riding that filly in the Kentucky Oaks.

WEEP NO MORE – Ashbrook Farm’s Weep No More walked the shedrow at trainer Rusty Arnold’s barn a day after working a half-mile in :49.60.

“It worked out well,” said Jack Bohannan, assistant to Arnold. “Today was a good day to walk. She came out of the work good and will jog once around probably early Monday to get it done and get back in the barn.”

Source: Churchill Downs