|
|
 |
Oaks NewsBalance Favored In Field Of 14 For 132nd Kentucky OaksBy: John Asher LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 2, 2006) - Amerman Racing's Balance, winner of the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks and Las Virgenes at Santa Anita, has been installed as the early favorite in a full field of 14 3-year-old fillies entered for Friday's 132nd running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) at Churchill Downs. The 3-year-old daughter of 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch will break from post four under jockey Victor Espinoza and was installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite by Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia. The 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks, which is renewed each year on the eve of the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands, was run for the first time in 1875 and, like the Derby, has been held each year since without interruption. Other major contenders in the field for Kentucky Oaks 132 are the co-second choices in the race: Homewrecker Stable LLC's Bushfire, winner of the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, and Arindel Stable's Wait a While, the runner-up in the Ashland and a 14-length winner in the Davona Dale (GII) at Gulfstream Park. Both fillies are listed at odds of 5-1. There were four supplemental entries in the Kentucky Oaks. Greg Norman's Miss Norman; Naveed Chowhan's Red Cherries Spin; Robert J. Wilson's Top Notch Lady; and Sanford Goldfarb, Michael Dubb and Cast of Characters Stable LLC's Last Romance were not nominated to the race, but were made eligible with the payment of a $25,000 supplemental nomination fee. Those fees were added to the purse of the race, which - if all start - would be a record $685,900. The winner's share of that purse would be $386,985. Balance would have likely been a heavy favorite for the Kentucky Oaks if not for a disappointing third-place finish behind Bushfire and Wait a While in the Ashland. Hofmans' filly was beaten 10 ¾-lengths that day at Lexington's Keeneland Race Course. "She didn't care for that racetrack," said Hofmans. "She trained over it okay, but she really didn't like it in the running. It rained that morning and it was just sort of weird. It wasn't muddy, but I watched the tapes a bunch of times and she was just all over the place. It wasn't like her at all." Hofmans said the number four post in the field of 14 should be a plus for his filly. "I didn't want to be the 14 and I didn't want to be the one," he said. "The four is just right. It's a tough race. There are some nice fillies in here. I think the nicest 3-year-old fillies in the country are here. It's the top 3-year-old filly race in the country, I think." The favored Balance brings a career record of 4-1-2 in seven races with earnings of $563,300 into the Kentucky Oaks. The Eddie Kenneally-trained Bushfire has won four of her last five races. Cornelio Velasquez will ride the daughter of Louis Quatorze, who has a career record of 4-0-1 in six races and has earned $512,800. Wait a While, a gray daughter of Maria's Mon trained by Todd Pletcher, will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, who will search for his first Oaks victory while filling in for injured regular jockey John Velazquez. She has a career slate of 3-1-2 in seven races with earnings of $303,780. Pletcher will be looking for his second Kentucky Oaks victory after having won the race in 2004 with two-time champion Ashado. Other major stakes veterans in the Kentucky Oaks field include Hollywood Starlet (GI) and Stonerside Beaumont (GII) winner Diplomat Lady; Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (GIII) winner Top Notch Lady; Santa Ysabel (GIII) winner Itty Bitty Pretty; IEAH Stable, Plumerl and Robbins Wonder Lady Anne L, winner of the Demoiselle (GII); and Chris Houchin's Quiet Kim, runner-up to Balance in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI). A record crowd of 111,243 saw Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Summerly win the 2005 Kentucky Oaks, the first renewal of the race held after the completion of Churchill Downs' $121 million renovation. The 132nd Kentucky Oaks I scheduled as the 10th of 11 races on the Kentucky Oaks Day racing program that includes six stakes races. The day's wagering menu features a Pick 4 with a guaranteed minimum pool of $500,000 that includes four stakes races and concludes with the Oaks. Post time for the first race is 11 a.m. (EDT).
(s) -- Supplemental entry ($25,000 fee)
Total Purse (if 14 start): $685,900 |
Oaks Information |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 Churchill Downs Incorporated. All rights reserved. | |
