Kentucky Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Friday's 131st Kentucky Oaks (G1) features a heavy favorite in SIS CITY (Slew

City Slew), who is 4-5 on the morning line after winning the Ashland S. (G1) by

10 1/2 lengths and the Davona Dale S. (G2) by 16 lengths. The prolific lass has

dominated the three-year-old filly division so far this year, but we'll try to

beat her with RUNWAY MODEL (Petionville).

Trained by Bernie Flint, Runway Model earned her first stakes win last

October in the Alcibiades S. (G2), finished a good third in the Breeders' Cup

Juvenile Fillies (G1) and then concluded her juvenile campaign with a sharp

three-length score in the Golden Rod S. (G2) at Churchill. The dark bay miss

didn't make her sophomore bow until mid-March, finishing third over an extremely

speed-favoring track at Fair Grounds, and then ran a decent second in the

Ashland while no threat to the winner, who got away with very slow internal

fractions. Runway Model has trained forwardly since that start, recording three

consecutive bullet workouts, and is a two-time winner at Churchill (the favorite

is 0-for-2 under the Twin Spires). The pace scenario also favors the

late-running miss in the long Churchill stretch, and Runway Model can come

charging for the Oaks win.

Sis City is a confirmed front runner who figures to be hounded every step of

the way in the opening stages by Grade 2 queen SUMMERLY (Summer Squall) and RUGULA

(Bernstein). She's overcome serious pressure

before, but her rivals could get more caught up in beating the favorite then

trying to win themselves. Another factor is her two previous appearances at

Churchill, which resulted in third and fifth-place finishes. Sis City has

improved greatly since then, but some horses simply don't like Churchill (Skip

Away is one of the best examples) and her supporters will be hoping those first

two efforts were aberrations at extremely short odds. We'll let the classy bay

beat us.

IN THE GOLD (Golden Missile) earned a 110 BRIS Late Pace figure for her

winning rally in the Beaumont S. (G2) and hopes to pick up the pieces here. Trained by

Nick Zito, the chestnut miss earned her first century-topping BRIS Speed rating last

time and will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano, who is winning at better than a 30

percent clip this meet. In The Gold owns a 2-2-0 mark from four starts this year

and looms as a late-running threat for the upset on Friday.

MEMORETTE (Memo [Chi]) has never been past 8 1/2 furlongs, but the Bill

Currin charge owns a solid turn of foot and could possibly be a factor in the

stretch. She turned in a pair of commendable performances when finishing second

in both the Las Virgenes S. (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1) prior to a third in

the Ashland last time. She was bumped at the start and never really got into the

race, but Memorette is now more acclimated to Kentucky, with a nice five-furlong

drill at Churchill last Sunday, and could be more of a factor from off the pace

here.

Summerly captured both the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and Silverbulletday S. (G3)

by daylight margins but was forced to abandon her front-running style when

fourth in the Ashland. The Steve Asmussen-trained chestnut has worked well since

then and will be re-united with Jerry Bailey, who guided her to victory two

starts back. Summerly will likely come out running for the lead from the start

and could hold for a top three placing, but she may face too much pressure.

Rugula exits a decent runner-up finish in the Fantasy S. (G2)

but earned only a 94 Speed rating, which tied a career best. She's probably not

fast enough to offer serious challenge here. GALLANT SECRET (Menifee) is

probably facing too much of a class hike.

Trainer Graham Motion announced Thursday that DANCE AWAY CAPOTE

(Capote) will be scratched from the Oaks after spiking a fever. ASPEN TREE (Holy

Bull) ran in Thursday's La Troienne S. (G3) at Churchill Downs.