Oaks Updates

Photo By: Rick Schmitt/CDI

Oaks contender Ex Caelis grazes Thursday afternoon on the Churchill Downs backside.

BALANCE - Amerman Racing Stables LLC's Balance, winner of the Las Virgenes (GI) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI), galloped 1 1/8-miles Thursday morning at Hollywood Park under exercise rider Martin DeRubin.

Trainer David Hofmans said the filly would work at 7:30 a.m. (PDT) on Friday with jockey Victor Espinoza up and then ship to Louisville on Saturday.

BUSHFIRE - Homewrecker Stable LLC's Bushfire continued her preparations for the Kentucky Oaks at Keeneland by galloping 1 1/2-miles on the Polytrack training track under exercise rider Lorina Andersen.

Trainer Eddie Kenneally said the daughter of Louis Quatorze would work a half-mile on the training track Saturday morning and ship to Churchill Downs late Sunday afternoon.

Cornelio Velasquez, who rode the filly to a daylight victory in the Ashland Stakes (Grade I) in her previous start, has the call in the Oaks.

EX CAELIS - The daughter of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus galloped before the renovation break under exercise rider Jesse Cirillo.

The D. Wayne Lukas trainee, who was fourth in the Fantasy (GII) in her 3-year-old debut, is one of three Oaks hopefuls who will enter the Grade I test on May 5 with only one start in 2006. The others are Top Notch Lady and Miss Norman.

DIPLOMAT LADY - Charles Cono LLC's Diplomat Lady galloped 1 1/2-miles under exercise rider Alfredo Garcia before the renovation break Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.

The dual graded stakes winner trained by Christopher Paasch, Diplomat Lady will be ridden by Alex Solis in the Oaks. Solis will be one of several riders attempting to record the first Oaks-Derby riding double since retired Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey did it in 1993 on Dispute in the Oaks and Sea Hero in the Derby.

Solis will pilot Brother Derek in the Derby.

ERMINE - Oxbow Racing LLC's Ermine, winner of the Honeybee at Oaklawn Park, tuned up for her engagement in the Kentucky Oaks by working five furlongs over a "fast" track at Churchill Downs in 1:01.20.

The daughter of Exchange Rate breezed after the renovation break under Oaks rider Robby Albarado.

"That was really good. I got her last quarter in 24 and 1 and out (the six furlongs) in 1:15," trainer Ronny Werner said. Albarado, who rode the filly when she broke her maiden this winter at Oaklawn Park, also liked what he saw.

"She has done really well since she got here to Kentucky," Albarado said. "She was doing well at Oaklawn, but has really acclimated well here. I like her; I like her a lot."

ITTY BITTY PRETTY - TD Racing Stable and Jason Wood's Itty Bitty Pretty, winner of the Santa Ysabel (GIII) and third in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI), galloped 1 1/2-miles before the renovation break under exercise rider Luis Rodriguez.

Churchill Downs-based trainer Paul McGee, who is overseeing the filly's Oaks preparations for Doug O'Neill, said Itty Bitty Pretty would work Friday morning after the break with exercise rider Raul Vizcarrando up.

Patrick Valenzuela, who won the Oaks in 1985 aboard Fran's Valentine, has the mount on Itty Bitty Pretty.

LEMONS FOREVER - Trainer Dallas Stewart reported another normal morning for Lemons Forever, who he co-owns with Leon, Willis and Terry Horton. The filly galloped 1-½ miles under exercise rider Pedro Velez.

Oaks rider Mark Guidry is scheduled to be aboard for a Saturday morning work.

MISS NORMAN - Greg Norman sent his Kentucky Oaks hopeful Miss Norman out for her usual two-mile gallop late Thursday morning under regular exercise rider Angel Rangel.

The second time around, approaching the six-furlong pole, it appeared that Miss Norman was trying to get out.

"She was looking at the poles," Norman said. "When she gets bored, she gets to looking around."

Norman is keeping an eye on the weather forecasts that call for rain moving into the Louisville area sometime Saturday, the day he has scheduled a seven-furlong work after the renovation break with Oaks rider Tony Farina slated to be aboard.

"I don't want to work on a sealed or muddy track," said Norman, who plans to take Miss Norman to the track a bit earlier Friday morning.

PRESS CAMP - Peters Stables LLC, Rancho San Miguel and Matthew Shaver's Press Camp completed the major portion of her California training for the Kentucky Oaks by working a mile in 1:44.60 over a track labeled as "fast" Thursday morning at Bay Meadows. Exercise rider Sylvester Jimenez was up.

"I had her going a little faster, but the time was not the main concern," trainer William E. Morey said. "The main thing was to get her to settle early and realize that she has to go an eighth of a mile further than she has run before."

Rafael Bejarano is scheduled to ride the daughter of Comic Strip in the Oaks. She is scheduled to ship to Louisville on Tuesday.

QUIET KIM - Exercise rider Gerardo Morales, who has been the main companion for Chris Houchins' Quiet Kim since she has been at Churchill Downs, reported all was well with the Real Quiet filly following a morning gallop of 1-3/8 miles that was accomplished before the renovation break.

"I am happy with the way she is training," Morales said. "She has been eating everything, which is good. She will work in the morning, right after the break."

Quiet Kim finished second in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI) in her strongest effort of 2006.

RED CHERRIES SPIN - Naveed Chowhan's Red Cherries Spin breezed five furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course for trainer Bernard Flint. The daughter of With Approval, who was ridden by jockey Justin Vitek, covered the distance on "firm" turf around the dogs in 1:01.40, which ranked as the second fastest time of seven at the distance.

"She went real well and finished up good," said Flint. "We're still hoping to run in the Oaks if she can get in there."

Chowhan claimed Red Cherries Spin for $75,000 out of a race at Keeneland on April 15. She is not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, but could be made a supplemental entry with a fee of $25,000, or five percent of the Oaks' $500,000-added purse.

The biggest problem for Flint's filly is that she has no earnings in either graded or restricted stakes races. There 17 fillies still listed as "likely" or "possible" for the Oaks and a maximum of 14 may run, with Red Cherries Spin sitting last on the list of earnings.

If she cannot get into the Oaks, Flint said the filly would likely run in the $100,000-added Edgewood for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16-miles on the turf on Kentucky Oaks Day.

TOP NOTCH LADY - Robert J. Wilson's Top Notch Lady, winner of the Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (GIII) in her lone start of 2006, galloped 1 1/2-miles before the renovation break with exercise rider Jose Castanon up.

Trainer Mark Casse said Top Notch Lady would probably breeze five furlongs in the morning with Castanon up. Patrick Husbands has the mount for the Oaks.

WAIT A WHILE/READY TO PLEASE - The two Kentucky Oaks contenders in the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher each galloped 1 ¼-miles on Thursday.

Arindel Farm's Wait a While, winner of the Davona Dale (GII) and runner-up in the Ashland (GI), galloped under exercise rider Frederick Buscialle, while James Scatuorchio's Ready to Please, the winner of the Fantasy (GII), galloped under exercise rider Justin Curran.

Wait a While is scheduled to work on Saturday. Pletcher continued to list Ready to Please as "unlikely" for the Kentucky Oaks, but said the More Than Ready filly would also work on Saturday. "We'll see if she knocks our socks off," said Pletcher.

WONDER LADY ANNE L/LAST ROMANCE - The Rick Dutrow duo was scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs later Thursday for their shots at the Kentucky Oaks. They will be stabled in Barn 41.

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