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KENTUCKY OAKS REPORT MARCH 13, 2009 Well, it's that time of year again. The lilies are breaking through the hard winter soil in Kentucky and the three-year-old fillies are breaking out their best runs for a chance at "Stardom" in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). I want to begin by reviewing some of the more recent prep races and going over a couple of fillies I particularly like. So let's shed those bulky winter garments and break out the bonnets 'cause the Oaks is just under two months away. Santa Anita Oaks: I applaud IEAH Stables' recent decision to begin looking at a run in the Oaks for STARDOM BOUND (Tapit) instead of the Kentucky Derby (G1). Before last Saturday's Santa Anita Oaks (G1), the gray lass had been beating up on her own gender since really coming into her own in the Del Mar Debutante (G1). However, the Santa Anita Oaks showed a few chinks in the armor. Stardom Bound utilized her normal come-from-the-back run, but found herself in trouble this time around. Instead of the smooth sailing she's encountered up until now, the sophomore found herself taken extremely wide on the turn and into the stretch. She's usually come wide around turns in her past races, but this time it just seemed worse. During the stretch run itself, some of her rivals to the inside started playing bumper car rally, and Stardom Bound shied slightly when her closest inside opponent came out a bit on her. The tall gray filly didn't recover as quickly as I would have hoped, but she still managed to get up and take the win by a nose on the line. That proved to me she does have the determination to win when challenged, but it also proved she may be lacking the necessary fortitude to handle what the Kentucky Derby may throw at her. With a 20-horse field, and all kinds of race riding going on, Stardom Bound could find herself in more trouble than she can get out of in the Run for the Roses. However, she's already demonstrated her heart and courage against a reasonably sized group such as the Kentucky Oaks will have. My only complaint about the new arrangement for Stardom Bound is that she won't get a dirt prep before the Oaks. It would have been nice to find out if she can use her late kick as well on the dirt as she can on the synthetic tracks. Alas, Stardom Bound is headed for the Ashland S. (G1) over Keeneland's Polytrack on April 4, the same day as her now defunct try in the Santa Anita Derby. IEAH President Michael Iavarone has indicated if the filly runs lights out in that test, the Kentucky Derby could still come back into play, but I'm hoping he, and the rest of IEAH, continue on the new path they've chosen and give their charge a real chance at glory in the Oaks. While Stardom Bound's run in the Santa Anita Oaks offered up the first doubts since she started blowing past rivals at Del Mar, it also revealed a possible new contender for the Kentucky Oaks. NAN (High Yield) put in a surprising move during late stretch to just barely miss the win in the blanket finish. The dark bay lass, with jockey Corey Nakatani aboard, broke from post 6 and was positioned next to last on the rail while settling into her run down the backstretch. As Stardom Bound moved to the outside, Nan mirrored her rival while sticking to the inside. Though she saved ground, that move didn't help the dark bay miss. Nan attempted to split rivals nearing the turn, but instead found herself running up on the heels of her competition and was checked. Quickly regaining her momentum, she again attempted to split horses at the top of the lane, and instead encountered a wall of horses down the center of the track. Potential disaster loomed as her progress appeared ready to be curtailed, but Nakatani had obviously had enough. Tugging on the left rein, Nakatani steered Nan toward the inside and sent her up the rail. The filly eagerly followed those instructions, cutting a diagonal across the track and closing with a rush. Her loss by two noses and a neck was heartbreaking considering the effort she put in to it late, but the dazzling way she responded showed she's not just a one-run closer. Nan's next race should be even more revealing. Davona Dale: JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE (Dixie Union) threw her cap in the mix with a nice score in the March 1 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park. The Kiaran McLaughlin charge was bringing a three-race win streak into the mile test -- breaking her maiden by seven lengths at Belmont Park, taking the Love Affair S. by 3 1/4 lengths in November at Aqueduct and making her sophomore debut a 3 1/2-length romp in the Ruthless S. back at the Big A. In the Davona Dale, Justwhistledixie faced the usual suspects, but it proved to be no real challenge. Breaking on top in the seven-filly field, the dark bay miss was quickly confronted by FROLIC'S DREAM (Smoke Glacken). Instead of getting into a duel on the lead, jockey Alan Garcia took Justwhistledixie back in third a bit off the pace while allowing C. S. SILK (Medaglia d'Oro) to go up and press Frolic's Dream through the backstretch. Nearing the turn, he let out a notch and the lass sailed up into contention once more. She came about three wide on the turn and drew off under a hand ride through the stretch. Justwhistledixie's run was encouraging, but the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Oaks may prove to be her undoing. Her pedigree is filled with precocious speedsters, and while she was drawing off in upper stretch, CASANOVA MOVE (Langfuhr) was making up ground down the center of the track. The Bonnie Miss (G2) on March 27 at Gulfstream is next up on the agenda for Justwhistledixie, and it will be the perfect spot to find out if she can carry her speed through nine furlongs. Frolic's Dream gave a good account of her herself, but faces the same problem as Justwhistledixie in that she comes from a sprinting family. By Smoke Glacken out of a Premiership mare, the gray miss may be better served going in the Eight Belles S. (G3) (formerly the La Troienne) at 7 1/2 furlongs on Derby Day itself instead of the Kentucky Oaks. Busher: An inner dirt stakes at Aqueduct on February 22 showcased an exciting new challenger for the Oaks. WHAT A PEAR (E Dubai) entered the 1 1/16-mile Busher S. with a perfect, three-for-three record. She exited that event with an unspoiled four-for-four career mark. However, it was what she did to maintain that perfect mark that drew my attention. Settled on the rail just behind the leaders while running in third, the chestnut filly loped along until reaching the turn. Maintaining her spot on the inside, the lass tracked up until she found room then pulled to the outside of MY ANGUILLA (Cherokee Run). What followed was stunning. What a Pear didn't produce a sudden flash of blinding speed. Nor did she lengthen stride in any noticeable fashion. Instead, she simply drew off. Appearing to continue on in the same loping manner that characterized her run down the backstretch, What a Pear floated away from her rivals, eventually crossing under the line 10 1/4 lengths the best. Despite the fact that the talent of her competition in the Busher is questionable, the ease with which she won is still exceptional. Another amazing fact about What a Pear is that she has compiled her perfect record without the benefit of Lasix or any other race day medications. "As far as the owner (Tri-Bone Stable) is concerned, she doesn't need medication," trainer Joe Parker explained following the Busher. "A great horse is a great horse and you don't need to do anything to treat a good horse." What a Pear will get her first real test when she goes in the Ashland at Keeneland. The filly will face confirmed Grade 1 runners as well as a new surface in that 8 1/2-furlong Polytrack event, but neither her trainer, nor regular rider Channing Hill, appear to be worried. "She keeps amazing me every step of the way, that's what this filly is all about," Parker said. "I'm anxious to see her do it again." "I don't think she's run as hard as she can yet," Hill added. "She'll get a real test now (in the Ashland) and we'll see what she's made of." Martha Washington: RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) is proving to be the biggest contender on dirt thus far in the game. The flashy bay is quite easy to pick out in a field, and not just because of the interesting splash of color that covers up part of her blaze face. She has a power of movement in her run that brings to mind her sire. The filly showed exactly what she was capable of when returning in the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn Park on February 15, schooling eight rivals when crossing under the wire eight lengths the best. Rachel Alexandra's performance that day was brilliant, to put it mildly. Making her return off a 2 1/2-month break, the bay filly tracked the pacesetter on the outside, commenced her rally rounding the turn and easily drew off. Her margin of victory could have been much larger, but jockey Calvin Borel was visibly pulling up on the lass nearing the wire. Rachel Alexandra is one of the few likely runners who have had previous experience at Churchill Downs, home to the Kentucky Oaks. The Hal Wiggins charge made her racing debut under the Twin Spires last May. It took two tries racing over Churchill's dirt for her to break her maiden, but she followed that initial victory with a close runner-up effort in the Debutante S. (G3). Given the rest of the summer off, the bay lass returned in October at Keeneland, taking an allowance by three lengths, before returning for Churchill's fall meet and filling out the second spot in the Pocahontas S. (G3). She earned her first stakes score next out, leading wire-to-wire in the Golden Rod S. (G2) and posting a 4 3/4-length winning margin on the wire. Rachel Alexandra's Martha Washington victory showed she's not only retained her juvenile form, but has taken huge strides forward as a three-year-old. Catching up: While the above covers the most recent stakes action for the Kentucky Oaks, there is one other filly I'm really excited about. FOUR GIFTS (Even the Score), who captured the Delta Princess S. (G3) as a juvenile, has been knocking heads with some nice runners in her two starts this season. The gray filly has never quite been able to defeat them, but she's still coming into her own. While her rivals have taken turns beating each other, Four Gifts has finished third in the Tiffany Lass S. and second in the Silverbulletday S. (G3) most recently. In the Silverbulletday, she was caught late by War Echo (Tapit), who is now off the Kentucky Oaks trail, and I would even go as far as to say a bit intimidated by that rival. War Echo came over somewhat on Four Gifts, never initiating any type of contact, but Four Gifts gave way and veered slightly to the inside. The Kentucky Oaks is not run in February or March. It's not run in April, either. It's run the day before the Kentucky Derby, and that's the day that all these fillies need to turn in their best performance. I fear that some of them may have already peaked for this part of the season. They can easily come back and show more during the summer months and for the fall and Breeders' Cup campaign, but their Oaks run may have already been left in some other race. And that's why I'm so enthused about Four Gifts. It may be that she just doesn't have the speed to really challenge her rivals, but I'm thinking she hasn't peaked yet. If trainer Steve Asmussen can keep her going at this same pace, the lass could easily find herself wearing the lilies come May 1. Upcoming: The Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and Tampa Bay Downs' Florida Oaks (G3) will give us our next view of Oaks runners on Saturday, while Sunday's 1 1/16-mile Honeybee S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park will serve as the final prep for the April 5 Fantasy S. (G2). Of those three, the Fair Grounds Oaks should prove the most exciting and informative, as Rachel Alexandra will take on Four Gifts in Fair Grounds' major prep for the Kentucky Oaks.
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