Oaks Updates

BALANCE SET FOR WEEKEND WORK - Amerman Racing's Balance, the likely favorite for the 132nd Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) at Churchill Downs on May 5, is scheduled to work this weekend at Hollywood Park.

The 3-year-old daughter of Thunder Gulch is scheduled to breeze either Saturday or Sunday for trainer David Hofmans, who told the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee that his filly would likely work six furlongs.

Hofmans' filly remains the Oaks favorite despite a distant third-place finish to Bushfire in the Ashland (GI) at Keeneland. It was the first loss of the season for Balance, who had won the Las Virgenes (GI) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) in her first two starts of the year.

"We gave her a thorough checkout once she got back here," Hofmans told the DRF. "She really didn't care for that track at Keeneland too much. She just kind of staggered around there. She was all over the racetrack, and that's not like her at all."

Balance has a career record of 4-1-2 in seven races. Hofmans said Balance would ship to Churchill Downs on April 29.

KLESARIS LOOKS AT OAKS OPTION FOR MIRACULOUS MISS - Trainer and co-owner Steve Klesaris is so pleased with the way his Miraculous Miss bounced back from her win in last week's Comely (GII) at Aqueduct that he is considering a bid for the Kentucky Oaks by the daughter of Mr. Greeley.

But Klesaris, who shares ownership of Miraculous Miss with Puglisi Stables, told the Daily Racing Form that it's most likely that the filly would remain in New York.

"Right now we will take a hard look at the Oaks, but we'll probably wait for the Acorn," he said. "There are so many good races you don't want to squeeze the lemon."

The one-mile Acorn (GI) will be run on the Belmont Stakes (GI) undercard on June 10 at Belmont Park.

Miraculous Miss has won five of six career starts and suffered her only loss in a sixth-place finish in the Old Hat (GIII) at Gulfstream Park - her lone start over a "sloppy" track. Distance could be a big factor in Klesaris' decision, since the Oaks will be run at 1 1/8-miles and Miraculous Miss has yet to run beyond a mile or around two turns.

BUSHFIRE, ITTY BITTY PRETTY WORK - Ashland Stakes (GI) winner Bushfire and Itty Bitty Pretty, fourth in the Ashland and winner of Santa Anita's Santa Ysabel (GIII) tuned up for the Kentucky Derby on Friday with workouts at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.

Homewrecker Stable LLC's Bushfire breezed four furlongs in :50.60 over the "fast" polytrack training surface at Keeneland. The move ranked third among 14 at the distance.

"She was absolutely super," said Kenneally. "She's fit now and she's doing great."

Kenneally, who normally stables at Churchill Downs, will not move his horses to the Louisville track until after the Kentucky Derby. But he said that Bushfire would ship to Churchill Downs for her final pre-Oaks work during Kentucky Derby Week - probably on Monday or Tuesday of that week.

The daughter of Louis Quatorze gave Kenneally the biggest win of his career in her upset victory over Oaks contenders Wait a While and Balance in the Ashland, but he's hoping she can do even better when she gets back to Churchill Downs.

"That was by far the biggest win so far for our stable," said Kenneally. "It's fantastic. It's got a lot of history and it's exciting to win a prestigious race like that. We rate the Kentucky Oaks a little higher, but the Ashland is a very, very good race, too."

STD Racing Stable and Jason Wood's Itty Bitty Pretty, fourth to Bushfire in the Ashland, breezed four furlongs in :49.20 over a "muddy" track at Churchill Downs. Her move ranked sixth among 15 at the distance.

It was the first work at Churchill Downs for the Doug O'Neill-trained daughter of El Corredor since the Ashland on April 8.

Meanwhile, Charles Cono's Diplomat Lady, winner of the Stonerside Beaumont (GII) and the Hollywood Starlet (GI), got a feel for the Churchill Downs track on Friday. The daughter of Forestry galloped for trainer Chris Paasch after arriving at the Louisville track on Thursday.

ANOTHER OAKS SUPPLEMENTAL ENTRY POSSIBLE - Churchill Downs is looking at the possibility of four supplemental entries to the 132nd running of the Kentucky Oaks with the addition of Naveed Chowhan's Red Cherries Spin to the list of possible Oaks contenders.

Trainer Bernie Flint claimed the daughter of With Approval for $75,000 out of a 6 ½-furlong race at Keeneland on April 15. Red Cherries Spin stumbled at the start, but still won the race by nine lengths in a time of 1:17.80 over a "fast" track.

Red Cherries Spin has won three of four career races. She won her racing debut for trainer Carl Bowman in a race for $30,000 claiming horses on Nov. 4, then finished third in an optional claiming allowance race at Louisiana Downs in late December. She returned to competition in early March with an 8 ½-length victory in an allowance race at Evangeline Downs and then romped to victory last week at Keeneland.

Fillies may be supplemented to the May 5 Kentucky Oaks for a fee of $25,000, or five percent of the purse. Other fillies that could be made supplemental entries to the Oaks include Fantasy (GII) runner-up Miss Norman, Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (GIII) winner Top Notch Lady, and Wayward Lass winner Last Romance.

CHURCHILL DOWNS/EIGHT OAKS CONTENDERS ON GROUNDS - Thursday's arrival of Charles Cono's Stonerside Beaumont (Grade II) winner Diplomat Lady at Churchill Downs brought the roster of Kentucky Oaks (GI) contenders on the grounds to nine.

Arindel Farm's Wait a While, the Todd Pletcher-trained runner-up in the Ashland (GI) and winner of the Davona Dale (GII), is scheduled to work over the Churchill Downs racing strip on Saturday. Pletcher said that James Scatourchio's Ready to Please, winner of the Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park, remained only a "remote possibility" to run in the Oaks.

Other Oaks contenders on the grounds at Churchill Downs include Ermine, Ex Caelis, Itty Bitty Pretty, Lemons Forever, Quiet Kim and Top Notch Lady.

Click here for a roster of "likely" or "possible" Kentucky Oaks starters

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