Oaks Updates

EAST/MIRACULOUS MISS WINS COMELY WITH LATE CHARGE - Puglisi Stable and Steve Klesaris' favored Miraculous Miss ($3.60) rallied in the stretch under jockey Kent Desormeaux to score a 1 ¼-length victory in Saturday's $150,000 Comely (GII) on the main track at Aqueduct.

The Klesaris-trained daughter of Mr. Greeley rolled past Regal Engagement in the final yards of the one-mile race to score her second consecutive stakes victory. Daytime Promise finished third.

Miraculous Miss, who had scored an upset victory in the Stonerside Forward Gal (GII) in her previous start, covered the mile over a "fast" track in 1:36.67.

The winner benefited from the absence of Joseph Allen's morning-line favorite Teammate. The Allen Jerkens-trained daughter of A.P. Indy, winner of the Bonnie Miss (GII) at Gulfstream Park, was scratched from the Comely because of a bruised hoof.

"Obviously, having Teammate scratch was beneficial for us," said Klesaris. "They still ran pretty quick up front. I thought the pace was fast. She's just tremendous the last eighth of a mile, she's got such a big kick."

Although Miraculous Miss is on a roll and is nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, she is not expected to show up in the starting gate at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 5. Klesaris said she would be nominated to the $200,000 Nassau County (GII) at seven furlongs at Belmont Park on Kentucky Derby Day, May 6, and would then be pointed toward the $250,000 Acorn (GI) on the Belmont Stakes (GI) undercard on June 10.

MIDWEST/READY TO PLEASE WINS FANTASY IN WILD FINISH - A wild finish to Oaklawn Park's $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (Grade II) saw a fairly routine result: another victory in a major stakes race by a rising star trained by Todd Pletcher. But the path to that result was a roller coaster ride.

James Scatuorchio's Ready to Please maintained a straight path and took advantage of a wildly erratic stretch run by pacesetting longshot Miss Norman to score a 3 ½-length victory in Friday's 1 1/16-mile race. Jockey Stewart Elliott was aboard the daughter of More Than Ready, who covered the distance in 1:45.63.

Miss Norman managed to finish second, a neck in front of Brownie Points. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained Ex Caelis finished fourth.

The victory was the third straight for Ready to Please, who was successful in both her stakes debut and her first race at a two-turn distance.

But most of the post-race discussion centered on Miss Norman, a 41-1 longshot that appeared to be on her way to a stunning upset under jockey Tony Farina until she bolted at the head of the stretch and again inside the three-sixteenths pole. She still managed to grab the runner-up spot despite losing several lengths during her adventurous run through the stretch.

"I really don't know what happened at the quarter pole," said Farina. "All of a sudden she ducked out and I had to grab hold of her and then she did it again. It was shame because if she hadn't done that, I think she would have won."

Elliott said he thought Farina might be experiencing some problems with Miss Norman because he kept looking to his right during the run down the backstretch.

"My filly rated kindly and settled back and then I saw the horse on the lead [Miss Norman] getting out all the way," said Elliott. "I said, 'This is perfect. Just stay right on the rail behind her.' And there was no problem getting through."

The victory improved the career record of Ready to Please to 3-0-1 in five races and boosted her earnings to $196,150.

Scatuorchio told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the victory made Ready to Please a candidate for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) on May 5, but a final decision on an Oaks bid would rest with Pletcher. Trainer Karin Long, who saddled Miss Norman for the first time, said her filly would now be pointed toward the Oaks - although she has some work to do before she makes it to Churchill Downs.

"I can't believe she bore out like that," said Long. "It is something we didn't expect. If she runs straight, she would have won."

Miss Norman is not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, but could be supplemented to the race with a payment of $25,000 - five percent of the purse - at the time of entry.

Gasia Rallies To Win Instant Racing Breeders' Cup - Susan Knoll's Gasia rallied from last under jockey Larry Melancon to win Saturday's $100,000 Instant Racing Breeders' Cup for 3-year-old fillies.

The daughter of Silver Deputy was last in field of eight after a half mile, but she caught the pacesetting Morner in mid-stretch and gradually wore that rival down to score a 1 ¾-length victory. Morner was a clear second, 5 ¾-lengths clear of Incumbent in third. Turf specialist Beau Dare was fourth in her 3-year-old debut.

Gasia, who is trained by J. Larry Jones, is nominated to the Kentucky Oaks.

Favored Coronado's Vision, who was coming off a runner-up finish to Top Notch Lady in the Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (GIII) at Turfway Park, dueled for the lead with Morner, but faded to a sixth-place finish under jockey Robby Albarado.

Summerly Breezes At Churchill - Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Summerly, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Oaks, took another step toward her return to racing with a five-furlong work on Monday at Churchill Downs.

The Steve Asmussen-trained daughter of Summer Squall covered the distance in 1:02.40 over a "muddy" track.

Summerly has been away from competition since late summer of last year when she was injured while training for a run in Saratoga's Alabama (GI).

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