Oaks News

By: John Asher

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 7, 2006) - An ankle injury suffered during workout has knocked Stevestan Stable’s French Park out of consideration for the 132nd running of the Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and wagering on the filly (#10) has been suspended in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”).

Trainer Helen Pitts told a Churchill Downs official late Thursday evening that the gray/roan daughter of Ecton Park would undergo surgery on Friday, April 7 at Rood & Riddle equine hospital in Lexington, Ky. to remove a bone chip from her ankle. Pitts said that French Park, the winner of the Golden Rod (GII) and Pocahontas (GIII) at Churchill Downs, had apparently suffered the injury in a workout on Sunday, April 2 at the Louisville, Ky. track.

“She worked well and worked well within herself,” said Pitts. “She cooled out fine and walked fine, but on Monday there was quite a bit of heat (in the ankle).”

The chip was discovered in an X-ray of the ankle taken earlier in the week. Pitts said the injury is not career threatening, but it will take French Park out of a planned run in Keeneland’s $250,000 Stonerside Beaumont (GII) on April 14 and the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 5 at Churchill Downs.

“The chip is very clean,” she said. “There’s no damage done to the joint. It’s not a big deal, but it’s just an unfortunate thing.”

Pitts said that French Park would get “about two months off” following the surgery. The Kentucky-bred filly goes to the sidelines with a record of 3-1-0 in five career starts and earnings of $297,601.

The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager offers racing fans the opportunity to bet on Oaks contenders well in advance of the May 5 race for 3-year-old fillies at odds that could be more attractive than they would receive on the day of the race. It is a minimum $2 wager and a win bet only. There are no refunds in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager and winning payouts are based on the odds in place at the conclusion of each pool.

French Park stood at odds of 22-1 after Thursday’s Pool 3 betting. A total of $120 had been wagered on the filly in a pool that had climbed to $3,370 at the end of Thursday’s betting. More information on the Kentucky Oaks and real-time KOFW odds are available on the Web at www.kentuckyoaks.com.

Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Pool 3 - Day 1 Odds

Program	Horse Name	Odds
1	Adieu	15-1
2	Balance	2-1
3	Brownie Points*(n)	45-1
4	Bushfire*	99-1
5	Celestial Legend	35-1
6	Crystal Current	40-1
7	Diplomat Lady	50-1
8	Ermine*	25-1
9	Ex Caelis	25-1
10	French Park	SUSPENDED
11	India	12-1
12	Itty Bitty Pretty	35-1
13	Miraculous Miss*	60-1
14	Quiet Kim*	50-1
15	Ready to Please*	45-1
16	Sweet Belle	99-1
17	Sweet Fourty*	40-1
18	Sweet Sugaree	99-1
19	Teammate*	40-1
20	Top Notch Lady*(n)	35-1
21	Wait A While	16-1
22	Wild Fit	7-2
23	Wonder Lady Anne L	25-1
24	All Other 3YO fillies	13-1

* - New filly in Pool 3
(n) - Not nominated to Kentucky Oaks

Oaks Information