CLASS ABOVE/VICTORY U.S.A - Thomas Van Meter II's Victory U.S.A., a dominating 8 ½-length winner over reigning 2-year-old filly champion Halfbridled in Keeneland's Stonerside Beaumont (GIII), pleased trainer Bob Baffert with a good five-furlong breeze at Churchill Downs on Sunday.

The daughter of 1998 Kentucky Derby (GI) runner-up and Belmont Stakes (GI) winner Victory Gallop covered five furlongs over a "fast" track in 1:01. The move under regular exercise rider Dana Barnes ranked as the ninth-fastest of 42 at the distance on the day.

"She really bounced out of the race well," said Baffert. "Her biggest problem has been that after she runs, she wigs out a little bit. She gets a little bit keyed up, but she's been really good here and she's starting to mellow out a little bit."

Baffert said there will be plenty of work in the days before the April 30 Kentucky Oaks (GI) to ensure that she takes her more relaxed demeanor into race day.

"We're going to school her in the paddock her," he said.

"That's been her biggest problem because she gets so worked up. But she's keeping her weight, she looked nice today and handled the track all right."

Baffert said Victory U.S.A. did not need a vigorous work on Sunday because jockey Jerry Bailey had been so active in the late going on the filly in what turned out to be a romp in the Stonerside Beaumont. Bailey said after the race that he kept working hard on the filly because of his concern that Halfbridled would be rolling late. "It was good because he made her finish well," said Baffert. "If he had eased up on her, I would have done a little bit more with her today."

Victory U.S.A., who has a record of 3-2-2 in eight races, will be ridden by Pat Day in the Kentucky Oaks.

Baffert's other Kentucky Oaks contender, Padua Stable's Class Above, galloped on Sunday and is scheduled to work on Monday. Corey Nakatani has the assignment to ride Class Above in the Kentucky Oaks.

LAST SONG - Buckram Oak Farm's Last Song, winner of the Bonnie Miss (GII) and third in the Ashland (GI) breezed five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 on Sunday in preparation for her scheduled run in the 130th Kentucky Oaks (GI) on April 30.

Jockey Brian Peck was aboard for the work by the Carl Nafzger-trained daughter of Unbridled's Song, a move that ranked as the eighth-fastest of 42 at the distance.

"It was a good, solid work," said Nafzger. "She's doing everything we want her to do."

Sunday's breeze was the second in four days for Last Song and Nafzger said he would now be able to decide what fine-tuning his filly may need before the 1 1/8-mile Oaks. She had breezed an easy four furlongs in :49.20 on April 15.

"I'm sitting where I want to be," said Nafzger. "I can anything with her from now until the race that I want to do."

Last Song will bring a record of 3-1-1 in eight races into the Oaks. She will be ridden by Edgar Prado, the rider of 2003 Kentucky Oaks winner Bird Town.

MADCAP ESCAPADE - Bruce Lunsford's Kentucky Oaks (GI) contender Madcap Escapade, the unbeaten winner of the Ashland (GI), had a routine day on Sunday.

Trainer Frank Brothers said the Hennessy filly galloped a mile and schooled in the paddock.

"I'm very happy with her," said Brothers. "When the trainer is happy, that usually means everything is going pretty good. We hope to have a couple of good weeks and then we'll see what happens."

Madcap Escapade is expected to work one more time, probably late this week, in preparation for the April 30 Oaks.

"That's pretty much what we've done in past with her and I'm not going to change," Brothers said. "She works fast and I've usually worked her seven or eight days out. I'm just going to go on with what got me here, there's no reason to change now."

The victory in the 1 1/16-mile Ashland was the first at a two-turn distance in four career starts for Madcap Escapade. She was unchallenged on the lead that day on a Keeneland track that often favors early speed and held off late-running Oaks rival Ashado to win by a half-length. Brothers said the 1 1/8 mile Oaks at Churchill Downs, the track's long homestretch, and new rivals in a bigger field would likely provide new challenges for Madcap Escapade.

"You would think somebody's going to try her or make her run early, so it's a totally different deal," said Brothers. "But bottom line is that she's bought her ticket, she belongs there and if we have a good couple of weeks, she's got a chance."

Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey is scheduled to ride Madcap Escapade in the Kentucky Oaks.

STELLAR JAYNE - Spendthrift Farm, Cole and Kidder's Stellar Jayne, considered a possible starter in Kentucky Oaks 130, breezed five furlongs Sunday in 1:00 3/5 for four-time Oaks-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

The gray daughter of Wild Rush won the Pocahontas last fall at Churchill Downs and was third to House of Fortune last time out in the Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park.

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