Oaks Updates

EAST/CELESTIAL LEGEND HEADS TO NEW YORK FOR CICADA - Unbeaten Celestial Legend, the current queen of Maryland-based 3-year-old fillies, will travel to New York on Saturday to face seven rivals in the $100,000 Cicada (GIII) on Aqueduct's inner track.

David Menard's Maryland-bred daughter of City Zip overcame traffic problems to win the Wide Country at Laurel Park last time out. It was the fifth stakes victory for trainer Dale Capuano's filly, who has won all of her six career races.

"She's game and pins her ears and fights when she has to," said Capuano. "She's never really had any breaks, and she doesn't have to have things her own way."

Regular jockey Erick Rodriguez will ride Celestial Legend, who carries co-highweight of 122 pounds with Ring True, another unbeaten filly who won the Dearly Precious for trainer Jimmy Jerkens at Aqueduct last time out. Another unbeaten New Yorker, the Ben Perkins, Jr.-trained Wild Gams, won the Oxford Scholar on Jan. 29 for her fist stakes victory.

Pletcher's J'ray Returns In Herecomesthebride - The talent-laden shedrow of two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer is stocked with stars in nearly every division, and Sunday marks the return to racing of a filly who figures to be one of the best of the current crop of 3-year-old grass fillies.

Pletcher's J'ray returns to competition after a 10 week break in Sunday's $100,000 Herecomesthebride (GIII) at 1 1/16-miles on the turf course at Gulfstream Park. She will attempt to extend a four-race winning streak that includes stakes victories in Keeneland's Jessamine County, the Selima at Laurel and the Tropical Park Oaks (GIII) at Calder.

"We're looking forward to having her back," said Pletcher. "She didn't really need the rest per se, but we had to wait for this race. I didn't want to use her up in the prep races where the Monday wasn't as good. She's run well after a freshening already, so it should work out.

Owned and bred by Lawerence Goichman, the New York-bred daughter of Distant View has a career record of 4-0-0 in five races and has earned $217,245.

Other contenders among her six rivals in the Hercomesthebride include Lake Alice, winner of Calder's J J's Dream, and Diamond Spirit, runner-up to Miraculous Miss in the Valley Stream (GIII).

SOUTHEAST/CRYSTAL CURRENT FACES STOLEN PRAYER AT TAMPA BAY - Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is the all-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs, but he does not have a victory in either of the track's biggest races, the $2 million Kentucky Derby (Grade I) or the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

But Mott could have a strong candidate for the latter in Crystal Current, who will be among the favorites in a field of nine in the $200,000 Florida Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

The homebred daughter of A.P. Indy carries the colors of the Kinsman Stable of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and will be seeking her second straight stakes victory over the Tampa Bay track. She notched an easy 4 ½-length win in her most recent start on Feb. 18 in the Suncoast Stakes, which marked her first start since she scored her first career victory in November at Aqueduct.

Jockey Cornelio Velasquez was aboard in the Suncoast and will be in the saddle aboard Mott's filly in the 1 1/16-mile Florida Oaks.

The Eddie Plesa-trained Stolen Prayer also figures to be a major contender. She won Calder's Three Ring, was the runner-up to Stolen Prayer on the grass in Calder's Tropical Park Oaks (GIII), and finished fourth to Wait A While in Gulfstream Park's Davona Dale (GIII). Jose Lezcano will ride the daughter of Songandaprayer for the first time in Saturday's race.

Others in the field include Saratoga Drive, a recent allowance winner at Gulfstream Park, A.J.'s Coal Bed, a runaway winner in a Gulfstream maiden race last time out, and Sangrita, a 12-length Gulfstream maiden winner for trainer Michael Matz.

WEST/EX CAELIS WORKS TOWARD '06 DEBUT, WILD FIT STILL BOUND FOR KENTUCKY OAKS - While reigning 2-year-old filly champion Folklore has yet to return to serious training for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the four-time Kentucky Oaks-winning conditioner continued to sharpen Ex Caelis for her return to competition.

Circle C Group Stables' daughter of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus breezed four furlongs in a quick :47.40 over a "fast" track on Wednesday, March 15 at Santa Anita. The move was the third fastest of 54 works at the distance on the day.

Ex Caelis finished fourth to her champion stablemate in the Alberto VO5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Belmont Park, but went to the sidelines shortly after that race to undergo surgery to remove a bone chip from her right ankle.

Lukas' filly also finished second to She Says It Best in Keeneland's Darley Alcibiades (GII) and third to Original Spin in the Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Lassie (GIII) at Arlington Park during her 2-year-old campaign.

Trainer Patrick Biancone said that Wild Fit, a well beaten third to Balance as the favorite in last week's $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks (GI), came out of that race in good shape.

Biancone said the daughter of Wild Wonder, who won the Del Mar Debutante (GI) and finished second to champion Folklore in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at two, remains on the road to the Kentucky Oaks despite that disappointing effort.

The trainer said he would "decide in a few days" whether Wild Fit would make her next start in the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland on April 8 or in the May 5 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Meanwhile, trainer Bob Hess, Jr. said that Santa Anita Oaks runner-up Quiet Kim would make her next start in Arkansas. The improving daughter of 1998 Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet is scheduled to run in the $250,000 Fantasy (GII) on April 15 at Oaklawn Park.

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