NEW MEXICO - What looked to be a "one-horse race" in Saturday's $250,000 Sunland Oaks changed dramatically on Thursday when heavily favored Yearly Report was scratched from the race.

The Bob Baffert-trained daughter of General Meeting was pulled from the Sunland Park race after she "tied up" on Wednesday at Santa Anita. Baffert's filly has won two of three races, including a four-length win in January's Santa Ynez (GII) at Santa Anita. In that race she defeated House of Fortune, who would win the California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields by 17 lengths in her next race, and earned an impressive Beyer Speed Figure of 107.

"We're just going to give her a few days off and see how she is," Baffert told the Daily Racing Form.

Without Yearly Report, the favorite's role falls to the Steve Asmussen-trained Sister Swank. The chestnut filly finished third to Shadow Cast in last month's Silverbulletday (GII) at the Fair Grounds. She has a career record of 2-2-1 in six races and jockey Shane Sellers comes in from his winter base in New Orleans to ride.

A major challenger to Sister Swank could be local favorite Speedy Falcon. The Henry Dominguez-conditioned filly has won five of six starts, including two victories at Sunland Park. She is coming off a win in the El Paso Times Handicap.

Trainer Rafael Becerra, who has St Averil on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby," has shipped She's The General from California for the race. The General Meeting filly has won two straight over California-breds.

KENTUCKY - In what promises to be a great preview and the definitive prep for the Kentucky Oaks, a stellar field is taking shape for the April 3 Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.

Expected to head that key Kentucky Oaks prep is Wertheimer Farm's Halfbridled, the reigning 2-year-old filly champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) winner. The Richard Mandella-trained filly is coming off a runner-up finish to Silent Sighs in the March 13 Santa Anita Oaks (GI) on March 13, her first loss in five starts.

The champ faces a showdown in the Ashland with the streaking Madcap Escapade. Bruce Lunsford's unbeaten daughter of Hennessy won Gulfstream's Forward Gal (GII) last time out and has won her three races by a combined margin of 26 ½ lengths.

Awaiting a rematch with Halfbridled is Ashado, the Juvenile Fillies runner-up. The Todd Pletcher-trained filly has won five of seven starts, including a 3 ¾-length win in her 2004 debut in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII).

Expected to join that pair of formidable challengers in the Ashland are the Ron McAnally-trained House of Fortune, who is coming off a 17-length romp in the California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields, and La Reina, runner-up to Madcap Escapade in the Forward Gal in her 3-year-old debut for trainer Shug McGaughey.

In other news, the Daily Racing Form reported that George Krikorian's Hollywood Story, fourth to Silent Sighs in the Santa Anita Oaks, would not run again before the Kentucky Oaks. The John Shirreffs-trained daughter of Wild Rush counts the prestigious Hollywood Starlet (GI) as her only win in seven career starts.

Class Above, an easy winner in last week's Bourbonette Breeders' Cup at Turfway Park, is another that will not run before the April 30 Oaks. Trainer Bob Baffert said he would train the filly up to the 1 1/8-mile race.

Trainer Bobby Frankel has scheduled the Fantasy (GII) on April 9 at Oaklawn Park as the final Oaks prep for Miss Coronado, who won Gulfstream's Davona Dale (GII) but was scratched from the Santa Anita Oaks.

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