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Oaks News
BOSSIER CITY, LA. (January 11, 2006) -- The lone chance for three-year-olds on the Kentucky Oaks trail to make a splash at the Fair Grounds meet at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs comes on Saturday. “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day features the Grade III Risen Star, the first graded stakes race on dirt for 3-year-olds, and the Grade III Silverbulletday for 3-year-old fillies. Also on the card are the Grade III Bayou Breeders’ Cup Handicap and the Duncan F. Kenner Breeders’ Cup Handicap. All four stakes are $250,000-added events, and are tied together in an all-stakes Pick 4 with a $100,000 guaranteed pool. Since 2002, either the Kentucky Derby or Oaks winner has raced at Fair Grounds: Derby winners War Emblem in 2002 and Funny Cide in 2003, and Oaks winners Ashado in 2004 and Summerly last year. Of the 15 horses entered in the 3-year-old stakes on Saturday, the best chance to extend that streak likely belongs to the undefeated filly French Park, the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the Silverbulletday. Trained by Helen Pitts for Steve Stan Stables, French Park is 3-for-3, winning graded stakes in each of her last two starts, the Grade III Pocahontas and Grade II Golden Rod at Churchill Downs. Calvin Borel will ride French Park. The daughter of 1999 Risen Star winner Ecton Park will break from post No. 5. The Silverbulletday field also features the Steve Asmussen-trained duo of Cintarosa and Devine Laughter, each of whom ran in an allowance here last week; Bob Holthus trainee Wild Tonight, who won an allowance here on Dec. 16, and Capozzene, who was second in the Three Ring at Calder in her last start for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher.
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