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Oaks Entrants
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Trainer |
Jockey |
Owner |
Breeder |
Stewart, 46, was born in McComb, Mississippi and began working with horses as early as age 10, training and riding in match races. He made the short trek 80 miles south on Interstate 55 to New Orleans as a teenager, where he got his first introduction to a major racetrack at Fair Grounds working as an exercise rider in the mornings for local trainer Connie Tassistro and a valet for the jockeys in the afternoon. Stewart took out his trainer's license in 1985 and his career began to flourish when he hooked up with trainer D. Wayne Lukas, initially working primarily for Lukas' Fair Grounds string before eventually graduating to becoming Lukas' top assistant, running the Hall of Famer's prestigious Kentucky division. After 11 years with Lukas, Stewart went out on his own in 1997 and had captured a stakes event by December of that year. In just two years of training, he saddled Kimberlite Pipe to a victory in the Gr. II Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. Stewart won his first training title in 2000 at Keeneland's spring meet, and followed up with his biggest career victory to date when sending out Unbridled Elaine to an upset win in the 2001 Gr. I Breeders' Cup Distaff. In just over 10 years of training, Stewart has campaigned such graded stakes performers as Silverfoot, Clock Stopper, Molto Vita, Sweet Nanette, Storm Surge, Kazoo and Saintly Look. |
Guidry, 46, is a native of Lafayette, La. and now resides in Louisville. A winner of over 4,700 races in his career, he is a perennial figure in the top 40 national jockeys' rankings. He began his riding career at age nine in his home state, competing at bush tracks and then moving on to regulated tracks at 16, winning his first race at Delta Downs. He moved his tack to Illinois in 1986, and became the dominant rider on that circuit, topping the rider's standings at Hawthorne seven times, Sportsman's Park nine times and also twice at Arlington. In recent years, he has ridden in southern California as well as Kentucky. He earned the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award in March. The award is given annually to the jockey who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack. Guidry has ridden in three Kentucky Derbys, with his best finish being a fifth last year aboard Buzzards Bay. |
Trainer Dallas Stewart co-owns Lemons Forever with friends Willis, Terry and Leon Horton. Stewart also trained and co-owned graded stakes winner Nasty Storm - a filly that was owned in part by former legendary Louisville Cardinals head basketball coach Denny Crum. Like Lemons Forever, Stewart campaigned that filly to a run in the Kentucky Oaks in 2001, finishing a disappointing 13th. |
Farfellow Farms is the commercial breeding and racing operation of Kip and Suzanne Knelman. Mr. Knelman is a former president of Investment Advisers and still remains active in the investment management arena with his Knelman Asset Management Group. The couple entered the Thoroughbred business in 1987 and have around 15 broodmares boarded at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky. The Knelman's have horses in training with Bill Spawr in Southern California and Nick Zito and New York and have campaigned the stakes winners Enjoy the Moment, Chelsey Flower, Kiltarian Cross and Teewinnot. |
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04.29.2006 - Oaks Trio Turns In Long-Winded Final Tune Ups
03.25.2006 - Top Notch Lady Takes To Polytrack In Bourbonette
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DRF Past Performances
Next Race: 05.05 Kentucky Oaks (GI)
Future Wager Odds
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Pool # |
Date |
Horse # |
Final Odds |
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3 |
04.06-09 |
24* |
12-1 |
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2 |
03.02-05 |
24* |
9-2 |
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1 |
01.26-29 |
24* |
7-2 |
* = Part of the mutuel field
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Race History :: Graded Earnings: $15,000 - Race Record: 5-2-1-1
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Date |
Race |
Finish |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Comments |
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03.25.06 |
Bourbonette BC (GIII) |
3rd |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Bumped foe, nice outside advance for third, one length behind Top Notch Lady |
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02.09.06 |
Allowance/Optional Claimer @ Oaklawn Park |
1st |
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Stalked early, all out late to win by a neck |
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01.05.06 |
Allowance/Optional Claimer @ Louisiana Downs |
2nd |
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Modest rally for second in two-turn debut |
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11.27.05 |
Maiden Special Weight @ Turfway Park |
1st |
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Rallied to break maiden |
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11.05.05 |
Maiden Special Weight @ Churchill Downs |
9th |
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Wide, fell back to be well beaten as the favorite |
Recent Workouts
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Date |
Track |
Distance |
Time |
Rank |
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04.29 |
Churchill Downs |
5 furlongs (fast) |
1:00.40 B |
8/49 |
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04.22 |
Churchill Downs |
5 furlongs (good) |
1:01.80 B |
8/13 |
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04.15 |
Churchill Downs |
5 furlongs (fast) |
1:01.80 B |
15/24 |
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04.08 |
Churchill Downs |
5 furlongs (good) |
1:03.00 B |
6/12 |
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Lemons Forever is sired by her namesake Lemon Drop Kid, one of the top handicap performers at the turn of the century. Lemon Drop Kid captured multiple Grade I events, including the Belmont Stakes at three, and he excelled at Classic distances. By Kingmambo out of a Seattle Slew mare, Lemon Drop Kid is brilliantly bred for high quality and stamina on any surface. An earner of more than $3.2 million as a racehorse, he entered his stallion career with lofty expectations and an eye-catching $100,000 stud fee, however he has been a bit disappointing from his first few crops and now stands for $30,000.
Lemons Forever's female family is a bit obscure to the North American racing public. Her dam - Critikola - is an Argentinean-bred mare that was a high class performer in her native land, winning 8-of-15 starts and multiple graded stakes events. One thing that is evident from her female lineage is that there are several key stamina influences four generations back with Herbager and Forli. So with both the sire and dam excelling at a high level at Classic distances, there is no doubt that Lemons Forever should appreciate the stretch-out to the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Oaks, and her dosage index validates that theory.
Her pedigree produces a 4x5 cross to Bold Ruler stallion Boldnesian.
Dosage Index: 2.38
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LEMONS FOREVER is going to be one of the longer shots on the board when you figure that Top Notch Lady, who beat her in the Bourbonette, is 20-1 in here with a better chance. Doesn't help that this daughter of Lemon Drop Kid ran her only really poor race in her only start at Churchill though it was her career debut. Trainer Dallas Stewart knows this dirt well after coming up under D. Wayne Lukas and working with greats like Winning Colors. He has a nice stable of his own now with many successful runners over the past few years but he's taking a page out of the boss's playbook here by running one who isn't proven at all to belong. This filly is going to need to improve about five lengths to beat Top Notch Lady - and then throw in Balance and the rest of the girls - you get the picture. Just seems too much too fast but this is a good year to take a shot.
- Steve Fugitte |
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Oaks Information
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