Oaks Updates

MIDWEST/BAGHDARIA RETURNS IN MARTHA WASHINGTON - Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch's Baghdaria, upset winner of the Silverbulletday Stakes over previously unbeaten French Park, is expected to be a heavy favorite in Sunday's 28th running of the $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The Royal Academy filly trained by Bret Calhoun owns a career record of 3-0-2 from five starts and has earned $206,240. Though Calhoun wants to win on Sunday, Baghdaria's top objectives for the Oaklawn Park meet are the $75,000 Honeybee on March 25 and the $250,000 Fantasy (GII) on April 14.

"I wouldn't call this a prep," said Calhoun. "This filly is in top form, and I'm sure she'll give us a top performance."

The filly is named for the Daria Hirsch, the daughter of the filly's co-owner and a journalist who was based in Baghdad when she covered the Iraq war.

Competition in the Martha Washington could include Kat Nan Do, winner of the Genesis for trainer Cole Norman; Patricia Blass' Best Mom, trained by veteran William Fires; and the uncoupled entry of Wildcat Bettie B and Gasia from the barn of J. Larry Jones barn. The latter pair finished first and third respectively, in the Dixie Belle Stakes on Jan. 28 at the Hot Springs, Ark. track.

Other contenders include the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Fast Deal and Wild Tonight, from the barn of Robert Holthus.

Holthus and Fires will be seeking their fourth career victories in the Martha Washington.

CHAMPION FOLKLORE HEADS ROSTER OF 160 KENTUCKY OAKS NOMINEES - Robert and Beverly Lewis' Folklore, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2005, heads a list of 160 fillies nominated to the 132nd running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) scheduled for Friday, May 5 at Churchill Downs.

The homebred daughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) winner and 2000 "Horse of the Year" Tiznow, will attempt to become just the third winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies to also take the Kentucky Oaks. Mike Pegram's Silverbulletday (1999) and Eugene Klein's Open Mind (1989) won both races and started their respective sweeps with Juvenile Fillies wins at Churchill Downs. Fran's Valentine, the winner of the 1985 Kentucky Oaks, finished first in the Juvenile Fillies in the first Breeders' Cup at Hollywood Park in 1984, but was disqualified and placed 10th.

Folklore also won the Matron (GI) at Belmont Park and the Adirondack (GII) at Saratoga during his championship season. She also had runner-up finishes in Saratoga's Spinaway (GII) and the Astoria (GIII) at Belmont Park. The filly is trained by D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time Oaks winner, and has a career record of 4-3-1 in eight races with earnings of $945,500.

Other Grade I winners among the Oaks nominees are Amerman Racing's Balance, winner of the Las Virgenes (GI) at Santa Anita; Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier's Wild Fit, runner-up in both the Las Virgenes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and winner of the Del Mar Debutante (GI); Adieu, winner of the Frizette (GI) and Spinaway (GII) and also owned by Tabor, Smith, and Magnier; and Charles Cono, LLC's Diplomat Lady, winner of the Hollywood Starlet (GI) at Hollywood Park.

The number of nominations to the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies is up from the 2005 total of 144. The total is the largest since 2001, when 167 fillies were nominated to the race known through the years as the "Derby for Fillies." A record 191 fillies were nominated to the Oaks in 1986, a mark that was tied the following year.

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher leads all trainers with nine Oaks nominees, with Lukas and Mark Hennig in second place with eight apiece. Neil Howard nominated six fillies. Darley Stable and Lee Lewis led all owners with five Oaks nominees each. Overbrook Farm nominated four fillies.

EAST/PLETCHER'S CAPOZZENE FAVORED IN SUNCOAST - My Purple Haze's Capozzene, third last out to Baghdaria and French Park in the Silverbulletday (GIII) at the Fair Grounds at Harrah's Louisiana Downs, will be looking for lighter competition as she looms as a solid 2-1 favorite in Saturday's $75,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

A victory by the daughter of Capote could establish here as another Kentucky Oaks (GI) hopeful for trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the race in 2004 with two-time champion Ashado.

Capozzene has won two of six career races and also finished second in the Three Ring Stakes at Calder Race Course. She has earned 108,722.

Pletcher's top contenders for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs include Arindel Farm's Wait A While, a 14-length winner in the Davona Dale (GII) at Gulfstream on Feb. 4; Tabor, Smith and Magnier's Adieu, winner of the Frizette (GI); and Lynn Stable's India, a highly regarded Hennessy filly who recently won her 2006 debut at Gulfstream.

George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Stable will send the second choice morning line odds for the Suncoast in Crystal Current, a homebred daughter of A.P. Indy trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Other contenders in the field of nine include John M. Tucker's Excellerant, Roland Powell's Saffronista, and Equest Racing Stable's Chic Cat.

In other Oaks news from the East Coast, Darley Stable's Silvestris breezed a half mile in :49.72 at Aqueduct on Friday in preparation for a possible run in the Monday's $65,000 Dearly Precious Stakes.

COMING KENTUCKY OAKS 132 PREP RACES

Feb. 18 - $75,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs (1 1/16 miles)
Feb. 19 - $50,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park (mile)
Feb. 20 - $65,000 Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct (6 furlongs)
Feb. 26 - $65,000 Busher Stakes at Aqueduct (1 1/16 miles)

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