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Proud Spell could go for Acorn after Oaks win Brereton Jones' homebred Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner PROUD SPELL (Proud Citizen) came out of the race in fine order and will head to Fair Hill in Maryland on Monday, according to trainer Larry Jones. The conditioner's celebration was marred when his other filly, EIGHT BELLES (Unbridled's Song), broke down in the gallop out after running second in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Jones had earlier talked about possibly running the two against each other. "If all things go well, there's a chance that we'll have one or both pointing toward the (historic) New York filly triple crown," Jones said early Saturday. "We'll see how they do, but the (June 7) Acorn ([G1] at Belmont Park) would be the logical next step." The New York filly triple crown, called the Triple Tiara, was comprised of the Acorn, Mother Goose S. (G1) and Coaching Club of America Oaks (G1) prior to 2003. In that year, however, the series was changed, excluding the Acorn and adding the Alabama S. (G1) at Saratoga. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he was pleased with the performance of LITTLE BELLE (A.P. Indy) moments after Godolphin's homebred finished second to Proud Spell in the Kentucky Oaks. "She handled (the sloppy track) very well," McLaughlin said. "She's handled everything we've thrown at her, at Aqueduct (and) she's won her last three. She tries hard every time as she did today. There was just one better. We're happy; she ran well." On Saturday morning, Rajeev Lakshmanan, McLaughlin's barn foreman, reported that Little Belle was in fine condition. The filly had spent the previous month training over the Polytrack at Keeneland, where she won the Ashland S. (G1), and had proven her ability to handle a sloppy track when she broke her maiden in February at Aqueduct. Little Belle is scheduled to return to Belmont Park and prepare for her next race. Trainer Bob Holthus reported Saturday morning that PURE CLAN (Pure Prize) came out of her third-place finish in the Oaks in "great shape." The lass closed with a furious rush to get up for third, finishing 5 3/4 lengths behind Proud Spell. "I can't figure out why she can't get going a little quicker," Holthus said. "I didn't even think she was going to hit the board, but at the eighth pole, she really came running." Pure Clan has made three starts this year and is in line for a break. "We are going to point for the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park (on July 19)," Holthus said. "It's a mile and a quarter on a bigger track. We will train her lightly for two or three weeks and then crank her back up." GOLDEN DOC A (Unusual Heat) was doing good Saturday morning after her fourth-place finish on Friday, according to assistant trainer Geoff Dapp. "I took (trainer) Barry (Abrams) and his crew out to the airport (for a plane back to California) at quarter to six this morning," Dapp noted. "The filly ate up last night and is doing great this morning. We're really proud of her. She didn't have the best of trips out there yesterday with the track being the way it was, but she ran great and was less than a length from finishing second behind the winner." Dapp said Abrams told him to hang loose with the horse for a few days and then they'd finalize plans for the chestnut. BSHARPSONATA (Pulpit) left Churchill Downs early Saturday morning to return to her home base in Maryland at Laurel Park. Trained by Tim Salzman, Bsharpsonata finished fifth in Friday's Oaks. "She looked good this morning and was hollering for her feed," Salzman said. "We are going to sit back and look for a couple of spots." COUNTRY STAR (Empire Maker) was none the worse for wear following her sixth-place finish, it was reported out of the Bobby Frankel barn Saturday morning. The Hall of Fame conditioner's right-hand man, Ruben Loza, said the dark bay filly ate up Friday night and was doing fine, but he didn't know what's next for the three-year-old miss. Maiden winner A TO THE CROFT (Menifee) will point for an allowance race at Churchill Downs after her seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks "to get her confidence back," said Billy Wright, barn foreman for trainer Ken McPeek on Saturday morning. Wright added the filly came out of the race in great shape "and there's not a nick on her." RASIERRA (Kafwain) came out of her eighth-place Kentucky Oaks finish in good order, according to Cody Autrey, who handled the bulk of the filly's Churchill Downs training for conditioner Ray Tracy Jr. "She hit herself a little in the race, but there are no major issues," Autrey said. "I imagine she will stay here four of five days and then they will make a decision on where she will go next." Trainer Rafael Ramos reported that AWESOME CHIC (Awesome Again), ninth of 10 in the Oaks, will rest for about 10 days at a farm in Kentucky before shipping up to his base at Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts. Jose Acero of owner Aurora Springs is choosing which farm. "She came out of the race good," Ramos said Saturday morning. "She bled a little (post-race scope) and the jockey (Robby Albarado) said she didn't like the sloppy track." ABSOLUTELY CINDY (Arch) came out of her 10th and last-place Oaks finish in good order, but will stick to the grass in the future, according to owner/trainer/breeder Keith Kinmon. "I'm pretty far down," a disappointed Kinmon admitted. "But she came back good and will go back to Turfway (Park) in the morning. She has had two opportunities on the dirt now and run her two worst races, so she is going to the grass and staying there." Kinmon said Absolutely Cindy would get a little break and then be pointed for a possible run in the June 14 Regret S. (G3) going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs. ELUSIVE LADY (Van Nistelrooy), scratched by trainer John Kimmel from the Oaks Friday afternoon when the racetrack came up sloppy, walked the shedrow Saturday morning and is scheduled to leave Churchill Downs for Keeneland, where she will work over the Polytrack on Sunday. Kimmel said she could show up next in either the May 16 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) at Pimlico or the May 18 Selene S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine.
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