Oaks News

Photo By: Benoit

Early Kentucky Oaks favorite Balance makes her first start away from California Saturday in the prestigious Gr. I $500,000 Ashland on opening weeking of the Keeneland Spring meet, where she'll be the prohibitive favorite to capture her third consecutive Grade I event.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 6, 2006) - Leading Kentucky Oaks contender Balance takes her game from the West coast to Keeneland Saturday, where she'll line up against a stellar group of 3-year-old fillies in the prestigious $500,000 Gr. I Ashland on opening weekend of the Keeneland Spring meet in her final prep for the May 5th Oaks.

Trained by David Hoffmans, Balance ships to Kentucky after conquering the West coast, winning the Gr. I Las Virgenes and Gr. I Santa Anita Oaks in impressive fashion and assuming the role of early favorite for the 132nd Run for the Lilies. But, the daughter of Thunder Gulch will not be without a challenge in the Ashland. Not only will she have to prove that she can carry her game outside of California, but Balance will clash for the first time with some of the leading fillies from other parts of the country.

Her most formidable challenger could be the Todd Pletcher-trained Wait a While. This speedy daughter of Maria's Mon has flashed moments of brilliance in her brief career, most notably her 14-length romp in the Gr. II Davona Dale at Gulfstream in February, and she certainly has the talent and running style to pose a serious threat to Balance on Saturday.

Bushfire and Saratoga Drive - the first and second-place finishers in last month's Florida Oaks - also seem to be formidable challengers off that race at Tampa Bay Downs, as well as impressive Gulfstream Park allowance winner Performing Diva - a well bred daughter of Storm Cat and full sister to graded stakes winner Vision and Verse for trainer Bill Mott that placed in the Gr. II Alcibiades last fall as a 2-year-old.

Another filly in the Ashland field that displayed some class last year at two is Coolwind. A daughter of Forest Wildcat out of graded stakes winner Scoop, Coolwind will be making her first start of the season, and first start since finishing third in the Gr. III Pocahontas last November at Churchill Downs. Coolwind shows a very solid work tab for this and could find herself prominently placed when the gates spring on Saturday.

The pace scenario should be ambitious in the Ashland and could include the speedy Bushfire and Wait a While, as well as longshot Sweet Sugaree and a fresh Coolwind, and the mile-and-a-sixteenth event should set up nicely for favorite Balance and fellow West coast shipper Itty Bitty Pretty - both of which should enjoy favorable journeys from mid-pack.

Itty Bitty Pretty ran away with the Gr. III Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita in January before finishing third behind Balance and Wild Fit in the Gr. I Las Virgenes in February. Trainer Doug O'Neill elected to bypass the Santa Anita Oaks and train directly up to the Ashland.

Both Balance and Itty Bitty Pretty shipped to Lexington in advance and both show a breeze over the Keeneland surface, which should aid those fillies' chances to get over the local track.

The full lineup for the 60th running of the Ashland from the rail out includes (with jockeys): Bushfire (Cornelio Velasquez), Coolwind (Eddie Razo), Wait a While (John Velazquez), Performing Diva (Rene Douglas), Sweet Sugaree (Shaun Bridgmohan), Balance (Victor Espinoza), Saratoga Drive (Javier Castellano) and Itty Bitty Pretty (Mark Guidry).

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