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KENTUCKY OAKS REPORT APRIL 9, 2010 With just three weeks until the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on April 30, most hopefuls have put in their final preps and will now head to the track only for maintenance works. Of the final two major preps for the Oaks, one yielded an expected winner while the other threw yet another contender into the mix. I'll go over those two races and also give a brief rundown of Keeneland's Beaumont S. (G2), which was run Wednesday but should have absolutely no impact on this year's Oaks. Fantasy S. (G2): Only three horses lined up against BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision) in the April 2 Fantasy S. (G2) at Oaklawn Park, resulting in yet another convincing win for the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee. TIDAL POOL (Yankee Gentleman) set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile test while Rafael Bejarano allowed Blind Luck to settle in her normal rear flanking position. Tidal Pool was easily best of the rest, drawing off in the stretch, and it appeared for a moment that Blind Luck might have left herself too much to do. Just past midstretch, though, Bejarano asked Blind Luck for her run and the chestnut miss responded. Increasing her momentum, the sophomore ran down Tidal Pool and easily pulled away for the 2 1/2-length score. Blind Luck was making her return to a dirt track in this one for the first time since breaking her maiden against claiming rivals in her career debut at Calder last June. A three-time Grade 1 winner on the synthetics in California, I believe the filly ran better than ever in the Fantasy and could possibly go off favored in the Oaks. Last year's Oaks winner, Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), romped home in the Fantasy prior to her record-setting victory in the Kentucky Oaks, and the betting public might surmise a repeat is in store on April 30. Tidal Pool stamped her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks following this stellar run, and the bay lass looks to be coming to hand for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. She didn't show all that much as a juvenile, with her best effort being a three-length victory against allowance/optional claiming rivals last August. Tidal Pool weakened slightly when making her sophomore bow in the Tiffany Lass S. on January 23, but proved she just needed a race under her girth when schooling a seven-distaffer allowance field by eight lengths prior to this one. Calvin Borel rode Rachel Alexandra in the Oaks last year, and Tidal Pool will only benefit from his expertise if he decides to stay aboard. The real disappointment for me in the Fantasy was NO SUCH WORD's (Canadian Frontier) third-place finish, beaten a total of nine lengths on the wire. The Cindy Jones runner had looked so impressive when taking the Honeybee S. (G3) on March 13 and appeared to be traveling well while tracking the pace in third. She ranged up to challenge Tidal Pool exiting the turn, but suddenly flattened out and fell back. Terry Thompson read the writing on the wall and didn't abuse his filly, instead allowing her to gallop home under her own power. No Such Word strung together a pair of really nice wins prior to this one and might have bounced a bit. Trainer Cindy Jones said that No Such Word will skip the Kentucky Oaks and instead point for targets at Delaware Park. ALL DUE RESPECT (Value Plus) rounded out the Fantasy order of finish and looks overmatched for the type of field set for Kentucky Oaks Day. Ashland S. (G1): EVENING JEWEL (Northern Afleet) drew the far outside post in the Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland on April 3 and circled the entire field to take command early in the 8 1/2-furlong Polytrack feature. She maintained a steady tempo throughout before beginning her sprint for her home, crossing under the line a neck in front. However, the real winner on the day was maiden victress IT'S TEA TIME (Dynaformer). Trained by Rusty Arnold, It's Tea Time came with a ferocious rally down the inside but found her way blocked by Evening Jewel, who began drifting toward the rail under right-handed whipping from jockey Kent Desormeaux. The bay filly showed tremendous talent to handle being suddenly angled out and still just missing the victory by a neck on the wire. Arnold gave every indication following the Ashland that he'll send his lightly-raced trainee to the Oaks, where she'll be trying a conventional dirt track for the first time. It's Tea Time ran second against turf rivals in her career bow before recording her initial victory on the green while going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park on February 21. Still, based on this performance the three-year-old lass deserves her shot at the lilies. Champion SHE BE WILD (Offlee Wild) finally returned to competition here and finished third, beaten just one length on the line. She gave a good account of herself after tracking the pace throughout, but will enter the Oaks having suffered her worst defeat on a dirt track. That came when the dark bay miss ran fifth by 9 1/2 lengths in the Forward Gal S. (G2) while making her seasonal bow on January 31. Trainer Wayne Catalano said She Be Wild needed the race and suggested the Oaks would be up next for the filly, but that might not be the best move. She Be Wild has had numerous opportunities to try the dirt again since the Forward Gal but Catalano has bypassed all of them. It would be a shame to have her suffer another bad loss, but especially if it occurred on the kind of madhouse day the Kentucky Oaks will take place on. That could really set She Be Wild back mentally. NEGLIGEE (Northern Afleet) ran seventh of eight in the Ashland, and trainer John Terranova has decided to take a step back with the bay lass. Terranova had previously stated that he hoped to bring her back in the Ashland and then go straight to the Oaks, but on Thursday said he might either send her back to New York or keep in her Kentucky and run in a grass event during Derby Week at Churchill Downs. Either way, Negligee's status for the Kentucky Oaks appears to be non-starter. Beaumont S. (G2): Terranova might not have been able to score in the Ashland with Negligee, but that didn't stop him from sending out FRANNY FREUD (Freud) to wire Wednesday's Beaumont. However, like her stablemate, Franny Freud is not at all likely to see the Oaks gate. The best chance she has for showing up during the Derby Festival is on May 1 in the Eight Belles S. (G3), but Terranova said, "I doubt it." I agree with Terranova's decision. In fact, I would go one step further and say I doubt if any runner in the about seven-furlong Beaumont will show up in this year's Kentucky Oaks. Upcoming: Saturday's $75,000 Instant Racing S. at Oaklawn Park might be the last shot for DECELERATOR (Dehere) to prove she belongs in the field for the Oaks. Lukas already has Tidal Pool as a viable option, and if Decelerator wants to join her stablemate she'll have to put together a stellar run in the one-mile contest. Other contenders in the Instant Racing S. who will have to post a career-best performance if they hope to have a shot at Oaks glory are BELL'S SHOES (Mineshaft) and TIZ MIZ SUE (Tiznow). The former posted a nice third behind Decelerator when that one took the Martha Washington S. but faded to sixth in the Honeybee last out. Tiz Miz Sue did better in her Honeybee try, running fifth, but that came after a fourth-place finish in the Martha Washington. It should be noted that Tiz Miz Sue is also entered in Friday's 6TH race at Oaklawn, a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer for distaffers, three-year-olds and up, featuring a field of 12.
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