Taraz looks ready for the boys with easy Martha Washington win

In galloping to a victory Saturday in Oaklawn Park’s $150,000 Martha Washington Stakes, the 3-year-old filly Taraz earned 10 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Oaks. But the unbeaten daughter of Into Mischief just may have punched her ticket to a different path back to Churchill Downs.

Taraz continued to show she’s worthy of taking on males on the 2020 Kentucky Derby trail when setting all the fractions and finishing up in hand under jockey Florent Geroux, moving her record to 3-for-3.

“I love her,” said Geroux, who never went to the whip. “She ended up good today. I think she’s definitely super talented.”

The Juddmonte Farms homebred entered off a maiden win at Churchill Downs and minor stakes score at Fair Grounds, with those victories by a combined 18 3/4 lengths. That got trainer Brad Cox thinking about a Derby prep — but only if Taraz passed a two-turn test in the Martha Washington.

Aside from exiting the gate a bit slow, it was an A-plus effort. Taraz shot right to the front anyway, pacing a field of four through fractions of 23.44, 47.50 and 1:12.44.

Taraz hit the wire in 1:38.64 for the mile with O Seraphina 3 3/4 lengths – it could've been many more if Geroux asked – back in second. High On Gin and Princesinha Julia rounded out the running order. Shedaresthedevi, a Cox stablemate, scratched.

“It was a big effort in her first race around two turns,” Cox said. “We knew she would be tough to catch, but she has a lot of improving to do. Her talent is there but she needs to settle down mentally.”

Cox said that as far as the Derby trail goes, "we'll talk it over." The logical next spot should Taraz remain in town is the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) on March 14 over the same Oaklawn track.