Oaks Updates

EAST/JERKENS’ TEAMMATE TOPS AQUEDUCT’S COMELY - Joseph Allen’s Teammate, a dominant winner in the Bonnie Miss (GII) at Gulfstream Park, looms as the likely favorite over six rivals in Saturday’s $150,000 Comely (GII) at New York’s Aqueduct.

The daughter of A.P. Indy, trained by Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, won the Bonnie Miss by six lengths on the heels of a runner-up finish to Wait a While in the Davona Dale, a race in which she lost by 13-lengths over a 'sloppy' track.

Regular jockey Cornelio Velasquez will ride Teammate in the Comely.

Major competition for Jerkens’ filly could come from Puglisi Stable’s Miraculous Miss, a stretch-running winner of the Stonerside Forward Gal (GII) at Gulfstream Park, and Lee Lewis’ Better Now, winner of the Tempted (GIII) last fall at Belmont Park.

The Steve Klesaris-trained Miraculous Miss will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux, while the Mark Hennig-trained Better Now with have Mike Smith in the irons.

MIDWEST/DIPLOMAT LADY WINS BEAUMONT, EARNS OAKS RUN - Charles Cono’s Diplomat Lady ($9.80), a disappointment in her two previous starts as a 3-year-old, led from the start and drew away to score a 2 ¼-length victory in Thursday’s $250,000-added Stonerside Beaumont (Grade II) at Keeneland.

The daughter of Forestry became a Grade I winner at two with a victory over Balance in the Hollywood Starlet (GI), but she had failed to threaten that rival in losses in Santa Anita’s Las Virgenes (GI) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI).

On Thursday, Diplomat Lady broke sharply under jockey Cornelio Velasquez and led most of the way while covering the one-turn Beard Course distance of seven furlongs and 184 feet over a “fast” track in 1:27.97. The Chris Paasch-trained filly won for the fourth time in eight races and earned a start in the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Friday, May 5 at Churchill Downs. She has earned $512,800.

“The last couple of races we’ve been a little bit disappointed with her finishes,” Paasch said. “I told Cornelio to let her break real sharp today. I think it got a little deep down the lane; she got a little tired in the race.”

William Schettine’s Lake Alice, a 45-1 longshot trained by James Chapman, stalked the leaders and got up for second under sizzling apprentice jockey Julien Leparoux. Wildcat Bettie B edged the favored India for third.

The race was marred by a fatal injury suffered by the Estate of Robert Lewis and Beverly Lewis’ Dance Daily, winner of the Santa Ynez (GII) and unbeaten in two previous starts over the Keeneland strip. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained daughter of Five Star Day suffered a condylar fracture to her right front leg and fell near the head of the stretch. Dance Daily was later euthanized. Jockey Robby Albarado escaped injury in the mishap.

Joint Effort finished fifth, and was followed by Yachats, Fast Deal, Terri’s Charmer and Motion.

Brownie Points, Ex Caelis Head Oaklawn Park’s Fantasy - Pin Oak Stable’s Brownie Points carries the hopes of the home team as eight 3-year-old fillies - including seven invaders from other tracks - meet on Friday afternoon at Oaklawn Park in the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (GII).

The homebred daughter of Forest Wildcat won the Martha Washington over the Hot Springs, Ark. track, but then finished second to Ermine in the Honeybee. She’ll try to give Pin Oak and trainer Donnie K . Von Hemel a second victory in the 1 1/16-mile Fantasy to go with a 2002 win by See How She Runs.

“Brownie Points is coming along nicely,” said Von Hemel. “This is a hard race to figure with all the shippers. I’m really surprised that I’m running the only local filly.”

Von Hemel’s filly is not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, but could be supplemented to the race for a fee of $25,000. Luis Quinonez, Oaklawn Park’s leading jockey, will ride Brownie Points.

Circle C Group Stable’s Ex Caelis could offer the strongest opposition to Brownie Points as she makes her first start of the year for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The daughter of 2000 Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Fusaichi Pegasus finished fourth to stablemate Folklore, the eventual 2-year-old filly champion, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Belmont Park. She underwent surgery a short time after that race to remove a bone chip from her ankle.

“The ultimate goal is the [Kentucky] Oaks, obviously,” Lukas told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “But I expect her to run huge. She surprised me the last 30 days. I think she’s plenty fit enough. She’s definitely quality.”

Other contenders include Chris Houchin’s Quiet Kim, a daughter of 1998 Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet trained by Bob Hess, Jr. The late developing filly has one win and four runner-up finishes in nine career races. Kinsman Stable’s Sweet Fervor, a daughter of Seeking the Gold trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott, won the Gasparilla at Tampa Bay Downs, then finished fifth to Miraculous Miss in the Stonerside Forward Gal (GII) at Gulfstream Park. James Scatuorchio’s Ready to Please represents the powerhouse stable of two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher. The daughter of More Than Ready has won two of four starts and makes her stakes debut in the Fantasy.

Another intriguing entry is Barnett Stable’s Sweet Idea, a dominant winner of the Houston Oaks at Sam Houston Park. The Bret Calhoun-trained daughter of Langfuhr has won her last three races by a combined margin of 34 lengths.

Others in the Fantasy field include Miss Norman and Lady Danza.

Saturday’s $100,000 Instant Racing Breeders’ Cup at Oaklawn could be a race with Kentucky Oaks implications. Bruce Lunsford’s Coronado’s Vision, runner-up to Top Notch Lady in the Bourbonette Breeders’ Cup (GIII) at Turfway Park, could earn an Oaks bid with a strong run in the one-mile race. Other 3-year-old fillies in the race include Carl Pollard’s Morner, third in the Honeybee, and Walts-David Stable’s Beau Dare, a grass specialist trained by veteran Robert Holthus, winner of Turfway’s Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies on polytrack.

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