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Hollendorfer looking to the future for Oaks winner Blind Luck

Blind Luck (outside) succeeded over Evening Jewel in her early goal under the Twin Spires (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) Friday's Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision) came out of her race in fine shape and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer now can set his sights on a second half of 2010 goal for his star filly. Blind Luck captured the Oaks by a nose with a furious finish beneath Rafael Bejarano. "She's doing just fine and looking good after the race," Hollendorfer said Saturday morning. "She'll fly back to California either (Sunday) or Monday. We met our spring goal now, which was to get her to the Kentucky Oaks and now it's time to set out a plan for the rest of the year. "I would think she'll run at least once in New York at some point. We would like for her to be healthy enough and doing well enough to make it back to Churchill Downs in the fall for the Breeders' Cup." The Kentucky Oaks win for Hollendorfer was his third, following Lite Light in 1991 and Pike Place Dancer in 1996. Only three trainers have won the Oaks' lilies more times: Woody Stephens (five), Ben Jones (four) and D. Wayne Lukas (four). The victory marked Bejarano's first in the Oaks. Trainer James Cassidy said he was surprised to see how well Oaks runner-up EVENING JEWEL (Northern Afleet) had come out of her demanding race on Friday under the Twin Spires. "She was just bouncing, feeling good at the barn this morning," he said. "She's something. I've got a plane for her for Monday morning and I'll probably pick out a race for her at Hollywood (Park) in five or six weeks.

"I can't believe how good she's doing this morning after a race like that. I wished I would have run her in the Kentucky Derby (G1)."

Cassidy only had his tongue halfway in his cheek when he stated the above about his three-year-old charge as he was boarding an airplane at Louisville International Airport Saturday morning heading back to California. Evening Jewel had been beaten by only a nose in Friday's Kentucky Oaks following an all-out stretch battle with winner Blind Luck.

Evening Jewel, who entered the Oaks off a neck win in the Ashland S. (G1), has now run first or second in eight of her nine races.

TIDAL POOL (Yankee Gentleman), trained by D. Wayne Lukas, came out of her third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks in good order according to her conditioner.

BEAUTICIAN (Dehere) was reportedly in good health Saturday morning following her fourth-place Oaks effort.

"She ran very well and vindicated herself with a placing in the Kentucky Oaks, we're very proud of her," trainer Ken McPeek said. "I haven't looked far enough ahead to map out a campaign or anything. We'll take it from here and look at all options."

Beautician will remain at Churchill Downs with the McPeek stable throughout the spring/summer meeting.

The field for Kentucky Oaks 136 enters the backstretch at Churchill Downs (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) AILALEA (Pulpit), fifth in the Oaks, and AMEN HALLELUJAH (Montbrook), sixth on the wire, both came out of their runs in good order, according to their connections. "She ate up and is doing super," assistant trainer Mike McCarthy commented on Ailalea. "She's doing fine and so are our Derby horses." Trainer Todd Pletcher had indicated that he did not know what was next in the cards for Ailalea, and no mention was made on where the Rick Dutrow-conditioned Amen Hallelujah would be headed. CRISP (El Corredor), seventh-place finisher in the Kentucky Oaks after an overland journey in the nine-furlong headliner, was safe and sound back at Barn 42 on the Churchill Downs backstretch Saturday morning. "She ate up and all is good," said Larry Benavidez, assistant to Crisp's trainer, John Sadler. "We've got a plane going back to California Tuesday and she might be on it. We've got to see how some of our horses run today and that will help us decide."

Following a performance described as "flat" by her trainer, Dale Romans, and jockey, Robby Albarado, QUIET TEMPER (Quiet Ameican) showed no negative effects after her eighth-place finish in Friday's Kentucky Oaks.

"She's doing fine today, she just didn't run her race for whatever reason," Romans said Saturday morning. No plans are in store for her next start at this time.

IT'S TEA TIME (Dynaformer) came out of her Oaks ninth-placing well according to Jack Bohannan, assistant to trainer Rusty Arnold.

"She ate up, cooled out well. Everything after the race was fine," Bohannan said. "She was buried down on the inside and never had the opportunity to get out and run. It was nobody's fault; that's just the way it went. She got beat by some nice horses."

Arnold had said before the Oaks that it was possible he would back off the filly for six or seven weeks "and you'd probably see her again toward the end of the meet."

"She will probably go back to Keeneland in the next day or two," Bohannan said. "She has a lot of upside to her and we are fortunate she came out of the race in good order."

Trainer Barry Rose reported that JOANIE'S CATCH (First Tour) was fine and halfway back to her Calder Race Course base Saturday morning following her 10th in Friday's Oaks.

"She didn't have a very relaxing trip," Rose said after just driving over the Tennessee border in driving rain Saturday morning. "We'll try to find a couple of softer spots to get her confidence back up."

CHAMPAGNE D'ORO (Medaglia d'Oro), 11th in the Oaks, will head to Louisiana Downs by van on Monday, trainer Eric Guillot said. The bay filly broke slowly in the Oaks and was never as close to the pace as expected.

"She took about five pounds of mud in her face," Guillot said. "She was really tired after the race. She's just not a mile-and-an-eighth horse. Now we know. We'll concentrate on races at seven-eighths or a mile."

Trainer Mike Maker, preparing two entrants for the Kentucky Derby, reported via text message that AGE OF HUMOR (Distorted Humor) came back from her Oaks 12th in good order and will van back to his Trackside Training Center base Sunday morning.

JODY SLEW (Slew City Slew) never threatened while finishing 13th in the Oaks, and Dennis "Peaches" Geier, assistant to trainer Bret Calhoun, reported Saturday that "everything is good" and the filly "seemed fine this morning." Jody Slew will remain with Calhoun's Churchill Downs string.

"I don't know what's next for her but she'll definitely stay here," Geier said.

BELLA DIAMANTE (Lost Soldier) was always outrun in the Oaks, ending up 14th and last on the wire. Trainer Allen Milligan said the dark bay miss came back fine and will return to Lone Star Park, where she will remain in training.

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