Oaks News

Saturday marks a historic day on the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby trails, as the first ever major prep races to be run over Polytrack for those respective Classic events on the first weekend in May will be held on Turfway Park's premier day of racing - and on it's new surface.

In the Oaks picture, Sabatini heads a full field of 10 sophomore fillies to post in the $150,000 Gr. III Bourbonette Breeders' Cup to be run at the distance of one mile over the all weather surface.

Trained by Patrick Biancone, who is one of the primary trainers that has taken a strong interest in training over the new Polytrack, Sabatini has not raced since finishing second as the odds-on favorite in the Gr. III Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita in early January, and has since been stabled at Turfway Park where she's deliberately trained towards Saturday's Bourbonette. The late-closing daughter of Five Star Day shows a solid work tab that includes a couple of black letter breezes, so she figures to be well acquainted to the surface for her Polytrack debut.

Prior to running second in the Santa Ysabel, Sabatini rallied strongly to be third behind Balance in the Gr. I Hollywood Starlet after impressively breaking her maiden at first asking last fall at Churchill Downs.

Coronado's Vision also figures to take a lot of money at the windows and could be Sabatini's chief rival in this contentious event. Trained by Frank Brothers, Coronado's Vision is 2-for-3 lifetime and comes in fresh off a solid front running score last month in a Gulfstream Park allowance race.

The daughter of Coronado's Quest will be stretching out around two turns for the first time when she makes her stakes debut in the Bourbonette, but she looks like she could be up to the task under jockey Edgar Prado.

A filly that looks to accompany Coronado's Vision on the front end is Gr. II winner Dance Daily. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Dance Daily upset stablemate Folklore in winning the Gr. II Santa Ynez earlier this year at Santa Anita around one turn, but she flopped when stretching out in the Gr. I Las Virgenes last month and finished last.

Dance Daily will try to turn around her form on the Polytrack Saturday, and she has the early speed to be prominent in the pace scenario.

Trainer Todd Pletcher ships in Capozzene for the Bourbonette. This daughter of Capote has been a hard campaigner, as she will race in her sixth stakes event at as many venues. Capozzene finished a disappointing sixth as the favorite last out in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs after several solid stakes finishes, and she can factor on Saturday with a top effort over the Polytrack.

The horses for course over the local all-weather surface is Classical Ryder. This daughter of Brahms is 4-for-4 lifetime with all four victories coming over Polytrack at Turfway. Classical Ryder debuted at the modest claiming level of $15,000 in December and has moved up the ranks in every start and comes in to the Bourbonette off a stakes win in the Valdale last month. This deep closer figures to put in her stretch rally again here, and Classical Ryder will be a late threat under jockey Eddie Martin Jr.

Lady Danza is an intriguing longshot in the Bourbonette and will be another late closer in here. Trained by Helen Pitts, Lady Danza has not raced since running third in the Gr. II Golden Rod last November at Churchill Downs in her 2-year-old finale, and she has been training forwardly for her seasonal debut.

The full lineup for the 24th running of the Bourbonette BC from the rail out includes (with jockeys): Sabatini (Leparoux), Lemons Forever (Flores), Lady Danza (Blanc), Dance Daily (Garcia), Morethanawhisper (Butler), Coronado's Vision (Prado), Classical Ryder (Martin Jr.), Capozzene (Decarlo), Champagne N Glory (McKee) and Top Notch Lady (Albarado).

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