Kentucky Oaks 2020: Trainer Stewart says Tempers Rising will run

Sitting in 11th place on the 2020 Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, Tempers Rising will run in the Sept. 4 race, said trainer Dallas Stewart.

The daughter of Bayern and Marchmont by Mountain Cat last ran at Ellis Park on Aug. 2, finishing second in an allowance race. Stewart said she was doing well after the race and her first recovery work on Wednesday.

“She looks good,” Stewart said. “Her weight looks good, her energy is good. She’s training hard, she hasn’t missed a day.”

The filly will face stiff competition in the Oaks, which is set to include the Kenny McPeek-trained Swiss Skydiver, who finished second to Kentucky Derby contender Art Collector in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

“If Kenny’s filly goes, she’s by far the best in the country,” Stewart said. “There’s several other good fillies in there. But we want to give Tempers Rising an opportunity. She’s run well at Churchill, and we’ve been hoping all year long to get into this race.”

Tempers Rising, owned by Mark and Nancy Stanley, broke her maiden at Churchill Downs in November on fifth try, and in May she finished seventh in an allowance trace at the Louisville track. In her only race since then, she finished second in a one-mile allowance optional claiming race at Ellis Park on July 31.

The Kentucky Oaks was rescheduled from its traditional date on the first Friday in May because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Stewart, Tempers Rising was on track for the original date.

“She ran big in New Orleans [finishing second in the Fair Grounds Oaks],” Stewart said. “We thought we were set up good for the Oaks in May, but things kind of went, as we know. But she’s on track, she’s doing great.”