Oaks Updates

MIDWEST/EIGHT FILLIES ENTERED IN OAKLAWN'S FANTASY - More contenders of the Kentucky Oaks could emerge from a field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered on Monday for Friday's $250,000-added Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park.

Entrants the Friday's 1 1/16-mile race include Ex Caelis, fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI); Santa Anita Oaks (GI) runner-up Quiet Kim; and Martha Washington winner Brownie Points.

Ex Caelis, a daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus trained by four-time Kentucky Oaks winner D. Wayne Lukas, will race for the first time since the Breeders' Cup. She underwent surgery after that race to remove a bone chip from her ankle.

The field, from the rail out (with jockey), includes: Lady Danza (Brice Blanc); Ready to Please (Stewart Elliott); Sweet Idea (Donnie Meche); Miss Norman (Tony Farina); Brownie Points (Luis Quinonez); Sweet Fervor (Robby Albarado); Ex Caelis (John Jacinto); and Quiet Kim (Pat Valenzuela).

Sitting out the Fantasy will be Honeybee Stakes winner Ermine, who would have been among the favorites in that race. She has already arrived at Churchill Downs and will train up to the May 5 Kentucky Oaks for trainer Ronny Werner. She breezed five furlongs over a "fast" track 1:02.60 on Monday, April 10 in he first serious training move since her return to the Louisville track.

Wild Fit Out Of Oaks - Wild Fit, the runner-up in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will be forced to miss the May 5th Kentucky Oaks due to an infection, trainer Patrick Biancone told Daily Racing Form on Tuesday. Wild Fit was winless in two starts this season after being purchased for $3 million by the Coolmore connections after her Breeders' Cup run, and the gray filly was training up to the Oaks at Turfway Park prior to her defection. Wild Fit will be turned out for a month at Coolmore's Ashford stud in Versailles, Ky before resuming serious training.

Bushfire Rolls In Ashland Upset, Balance Third - A casual glance at the field for Saturday's $500,000 Ashland Stakes (Grade I) at Keeneland might have led an observer to believe that the race would be little more than a coronation for the heavily favored Balance. But, of course, the races are run on the track, not on paper.

Longshot Bushfire ($32.20), owned by the Homewrecker Stable LLC of Ron and Ricki Rashinski and trained by Churchill Downs-based Eddie Kenneally, grabbed the lead at the break, set a moderate pace and drew away in the stretch under jockey Cornelio Velasquez to win the Ashland by 6 ½-lengths over Wait A While. Balance, the 1-2 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies and the early favorite for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) at Churchill Downs on May 5, finished third, 10 ¾-lengths behind the winner.

Bushfire, a daughter of Louis Quatorze, was coming off a victory in the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs. She completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:45.16 over a "fast" track and earned $310,000 for her second consecutive front-running victory.

"If you let her run early, she'll relax for you," Kenneally said. "She looked like she relaxed nicely going down the backside and had a lot left turning for home. She ran a huge race."

The upset victory before a crowd of 21,342 was the first stakes win for Kenneally at the Lexington, Ky. track. The victory, the first Grade I win for Kenneally, improved Bushfire's career record to 4-0-1 in six starts and boosted her earnings to $475,740.

The result of the Ashland was disappointing to the camp of Amerman Racing's Balance, which includes trainer David Hofmans and jockey Victor Espinoza. The filly had been dominate in earlier Grade I victories in the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks, but Espinoza said she was never comfortable over the Keeneland racing surface on Saturday.

"He (Espinoza) said she could never really get hold of the track," said Hofmans. "It was too deep for her. When he tried to ask her to run, she bobbled a little."

California-based Itty Bitty Pretty finished fourth in the Ashland. Sweet Sugaree, Performing Diva, Saratoga Drive and Coolwind completed the order of finish.

Hofmans said on Sunday that Balance came out of the Ashland in good shape and was still being pointed toward the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks. Hofmans said the daughter of 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch would likely fly back to California, then fly back to Kentucky for the Oaks. He said that Balance would likely stay in the barn of his son, trainer Grant Hofmans, when she travels to Churchill Downs for the Oaks.

Meanwhile, Keeneland will be the site of another Kentucky Oaks prep this week when the $250,000-added Stonerside Beaumont (GII) is run on Thursday, April 13.

Run at the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs and 184 feet, the 21st running of the Stonerside Beaumont has had a significant impact on the Kentucky Oaks in recent years.

Marylou Whitney's Bird Town, runner-up to My Boston Gal in the 2003 Beaumont, returned to win the Kentucky Oaks for trainer Nick Zito. Last year's runner-up, the Zito-trained In The Gold, was the runner-up to Summerly on Oaks Day.

Fillies considered "likely" or "possible" for the Stonerside Beaumont include the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Frizette (GI) winner Adieu and Stonerside Forward Gal runner-up India. Others include Hollywood Starlet (GI) winner Diplomat Lady, Santa Ynez (GII) winner Dance Daily, Sunshine Millions Oaks winner Joint Effort, Fast Deal, Lake Alice, Terri's Charmer and Wildcat Bettie B.

Smart N Pretty Wins At Keeneland - Classic Star Stable LLC's Smart N Pretty, a nominee to the 132nd Kentucky Oaks, rallied in the stretch under Rene Douglas to score a one-length victory in a seven-furlong allowance race on Sunday at Keeneland.

The Dale Romans-trained daughter of Elusive Quality wore down the pacesetting longshot Champagne N Glory in the final yards as Sabatini rallied for third. The win was the second career win for Smart N Pretty, who covered seven furlongs over a "fast" track in 1:27.70.

EAST/QUELLE SURPRISE UPSETS AT TAMPA BAY - Haras Santa Maria de Araras' homebred Quelle Surprise ($61) lived up to her name with an upset victory in Saturday's $75,000 Stonehedge Farms South Sophomore Fillies on Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Florida-bred daughter of Slew Gin Fizz, ridden by Terry Houghton, held off 53-1 shot Love Boot to win the seven-furlong race over a "fast" track in 1:24.03. The favored A Sea Trippi finished fifth.

Dutrow Mulls Oaks Bid For Last Romance - Trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. told Churchill Downs officials that he is considering a bid for the Kentucky Oaks with Last Romance, a 5 ½-length winner of the Wayward Lass Stakes at Aqueduct on March 24.

The daughter of Wild Rush, who has won three of seven races, is not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, but she could be made a supplemental nominee to the race with a payment of $25,000, which equals five percent of the purse.

Dutrow saddled the favorite in last year's Kentucky Oaks in Sis City but finished fourth to Summerly.

At least one supplemental nominee is expected for this year's 132nd renewal of the Kentucky Oaks. Trainer Mark Casse plans to make Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (GIII) winner Top Notch Lady a supplemental entry to the Oaks. She is now training at Churchill Downs.

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