ASHADO - Four-time stakes winner Ashado registered her final major preparations for Friday's Grade I Kentucky Oaks with a smart five-furlong drill Saturday morning that the clockers caught in :59. The daughter of the late Saint Ballado accomplished her move shortly after the 8 a.m. renovation break on a newly-harrowed track with exercise rider Michelle Nihei attached. The surface, though obviously glib, was officially termed "good" for the morning session.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who watched the work from the fourth floor of the Churchill Downs clubhouse, said he timed his sophomore filly in :58.80.

"It (the work) was a little faster than we normally go with our horses," the trainer said, "but this track was faster than normal this morning after the break.

"The main thing was she skipped right along doing it. A horse broke off in front of her and that got her going."

Besides Ashado, Pletcher has 10 horses stabled at Barn 42 at Chuchill Downs, including the Kentucky Derby-bound colts Limehouse and Pollard's Vision.

A.P. ADVENTURE - The tall, dark daughter of A.P. Indy put in her final bit of serious exercise for Friday's Kentucky Oaks with a five-furlong spin timed in 1:00.80 on a "good" surface Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Wallace Dollase, accompanied by his wife Cincy, led his charge through the half-mile gap shortly after the 8 a.m. renovation break with exercise rider Raul Vizcarrondo aboard. The filly backtracked to the frontside of the big oval, galloped once around and then broke off at the five-furlong marker and recorded her work skimming the rail.

"The work was good," Dollase said. "Not too fast, but not too slow. Raul said she really wanted to go. 'She's loaded,' he said. He said she finished up strong."

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith has the call on A.P. Adventure for the $500,000-added Oaks. He was her rider when she scored in her career debut Oct. 30 at Santa Anita.

CLASS ABOVE/VICTORY U.S.A. -Thomas Van Meter II's Victory U.S.A. breezed five furlongs in 1:00.40 this morning in a last major prep for her engagement in Friday's Kentucky Oaks. Dana Barnes was aboard the Victory Gallop filly, an 8 ¼-length winner over Halfbridled in the Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland on April 8.

"She went nice," said Baffert who won the Kentucky Oaks in 1999 with Silverbulletday. "I'm very happy with her work."

Baffert also is pointing Padua Stable's Class Above to the Oaks. Class Above galloped a mile and three-eighths under Barnes this morning and is scheduled to work Monday, depending on the weather. Class Above, a daughter of Quiet American, won the Bourbonette Stakes at Turfway Park on March 20.

HALFBRIDLED - The champion 2-year-old filly Halfbridled looked a picture on the track at Churchill Downs this morning as she stretched her legs at 7:15 under exercise rider Paul Nilluang. The pair went for a mile and one-quarter gallop around the big oval as trainer Richard Mandella looked on from a stand on the backside.

"She's doing fine," the conditioner said. "Just into her regular routine."

Mandella, who will return to his California headquarters for the next two days, has Alex Solis lined up to handle the daughter of Unbridled in the Grade I Oaks on Friday.

HOLLYWOOD STORY - The Wild Rush filly had her final drill Saturday morning before shipping to Kentucky, stepping six furlongs in a solid 1:13.40 over the fast track at Hollywood Park.

John Shirreffs trains Hollywood Story, who broke her maiden last December in the Hollywood Starlet. In her two starts at 3, she's been second in the Las Virgenes and fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks. Michelle Jensen, an assistant to Shirreffs who was aboard for the workout, said the filly accomplished her move well within herself.

"She went along at her usual good clip," Jensen said. "She cooled out fine."

This was the third straight six-furlong work for Hollywood Story since the Santa Anita Oaks on March 13. Her consistency is evident in the times of those drills - 1:13.40 on April 3, and 1:13.20 on April 10. Hollywood Story will board a plane early Monday morning and is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs in mid-afternoon. Victor Espinoza will be at Churchill Downs to ride in the Oaks.

ISLAND SAND - Trainer Larry Jones said that Island Sand came out of her five-furlong work (1:01) of Friday in good order and could return to the track in the morning.

"Normally I walk two days after a work, but I may call an audible," said Jones, who has 10 horses stabled at Ellis Park and another 22 at Prairie Meadows. "She was awfully keen yesterday afternoon when I grazed her."

LAST SONG - Buckram Oak Farm's bay filly, winner of the Bonnie Miss Stakes at Gulfstream in March and third behind Madcap Escapade and Ashado in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 3, galloped a mile and a quarter Saturday morning after the renovation break. Trainer Carl Nafzger, who counts the daughter of Unbridled's Song as one of the best fillies he's ever trained, said Last Song is scheduled to breeze Monday morning.

"It will depend on the track conditions," Nafzger said. "We'll wait to see what the weather does."

Last Song will have Edgar Prado in the irons for the Oaks. Prado was aboard in her two Florida victories this winter.

MADCAP ESCAPADE - Bruce Lunsford's unbeaten daughter of Hennessy had an easy morning Saturday, just walking under the shedrow for a while. The bay filly, who made the Ashland Stakes last out on April 3 her fourth straight career victory, put in her final hard work for the Oaks on Friday when she zipped five furlongs over a sloppy track in an eye-catching :58.20, the best move of the morning by more than two full seconds.

"She came out of it fine," trainer Frank Brothers said Saturday. "That's her final work for the race. She'll jog tomorrow and then gallop up to the race."

Jerry Bailey, who was aboard when Madcap Escapade won her first stakes race (the Forward Gal at Gulfstream on March 13), has the mount Friday as he looks for his third Oaks victory.

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