Oaks Updates

Photo By: Joel Cunningham/CDI

Quiet Kim walks the shedrow to cool off after zipping a crisp six furlongs in 1:12.80 Friday morning in her final serious move for the May 5th Kentucky Oaks.

BALANCE - Amerman Racing Stables' Balance completed the California segment of her training for the 132nd Kentucky Oaks by working six furlongs in 1:11.60 Friday morning at Hollywood Park. Victor Espinoza, who will pilot Balance in the Oaks, was in the saddle for the work which was the second fastest of nine at the distance.

"I had her galloping out in 1:24 2/5," trainer David Hofmans said. "She started off easy and finished strong. It was a good work."

Balance is scheduled to leave Los Angeles at 4 a.m. (PDT) Saturday and should arrive at Churchill Downs around noon.

BUSHFIRE - Homewrecker Stable LLC's Bushfire galloped 1 1/2-miles on the training track at Keeneland Friday morning under exercise rider Lorina Andersen.

Trainer Eddie Kenneally said Bushfire would work a half-mile on the Keeneland main track Saturday morning with Andersen up.

Cornelio Velasquez will have the mount in the Oaks on Bushfire, who is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Sunday.

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

Garcia said that trainer Christopher Paasch was scheduled to be in Louisville on Monday.

Alex Solis has the mount.

ERMINE - Trainer Ronny Werner sent Oxbow Racing LLC's Ermine to the track for a mile jog under exercise rider Ronald Savoy, a day after the Exchange Rate filly worked five furlongs in 1:01.20.

"She came out of the work fine and will walk tomorrow," Werner said.

Robby Albarado will ride Ermine.

EX CAELIS - Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that Ex Caelis, daughter of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, may work Saturday.

No rider has been named for Ex Caelis, who is owned by Circle C Group Stables, who galloped Friday morning under exercise rider Jesse Cirillo.

ITTY BITTY PRETTY - TD Racing Stable and Jason Wood's Itty Bitty Pretty worked six furlongs over a track labeled as "fast" in 1:17 after the renovation break Friday morning at Churchill Downs under exercise rider Raul Vizcarrando.

"I got her in 1:16 3/5," said Paul McGee, who is overseeing the filly's preparations for trainer Doug O'Neill. "She did fine, finishing well. She started slow and finished strong and galloped out good. It was just a maintenance work.

Patrick Valenzuela is scheduled to ride in the Oaks.

LEMONS FOREVER - Leon, Willis and Terry Horton and Dallas Stewart's Lemons Forever galloped under exercise rider Pedro Velez Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Stewart said the filly would work Saturday morning with Oaks rider Mark Guidry up.

MISS NORMAN - Greg Norman sent Miss Norman out for a two-mile gallop after the renovation break Friday morning and the filly was outfitted in blinkers for the first time.

Exercise rider Angel Rangel was up.

"She did not look at any poles today," Norman said referring to the filly's looking around the morning before. "We are all set to breeze seven-eighths in the morning with Tony Farina to ride."

Norman is also seriously considering racing his star 3-year-old filly with no whip in the Oaks, pending a conversation with Farina.

PRESS CAMP - Peters Stables LLC, Rancho San Miguel and Matthew Shaver's Press Camp walked the shedrow Friday morning at the barn of trainer, William E. Morey at Bay Meadows.

"The filly came out of her mild work in good order and would return to the track in the morning," Morey said.

Press Camp is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Tuesday.

QUIET KIM - Chris Houchins' Quiet Kim worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 under exercise rider Gerardo Morales after the renovation break Friday morning. The move was the fastest of three at the distance.

"I called Bob (trainer Bob Hess) and he was happy with the work," Morales said. "I really like the way she finished."

RED CHERRIES SPIN - Trainer Bernard Flint reported that Naveed Chowhan's Red Cherries Spin was well on the morning after a five-furlong work on Churchill Downs' Matt Winn Turf Course. The daughter of With Approval walked under Flint's shedrow.

Flint still hopes to run Red Cherries Spin in the Kentucky Oaks, although she is not nominated and Chowhan would have pay $25,000 to make her a supplemental entry to the race.

He is looking at possible jockeys for the filly, who was claimed by Chowhan for $75,000 out of a Keeneland race on April 15.

With trainer Richard Dutrow leaning towards running Last Romance in the La Troienne Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard, Red Cherries Spin would be the benefactor, sliding in to the maximum 14-horse Oaks field.

TOP NOTCH LADY - Robert J. Wilson's Top Notch Lady worked five furlongs after the renovation break in 1:01 under exercise rider Jose Castanon. The move was the ninth fastest of 27 at the distance.

"I got her in 1:00 2/5 and out six furlongs in 1:15," trainer Mark Casse said. "That's it for her. I'd say on a scale of one to five it was a 3 ½.

Patrick Husbands will have the mount in the Oaks.

WAIT A WHILE/READY TO PLEASE - Arindel Farm's Wait a While, winner of the Davona Dale (GII) and runner-up in the Ashland (GI), galloped 1 ¼-miles on Friday under exercise rider Frederick Buscialle.

The daughter of Maria's Mon is scheduled to have her final pre-Oaks work on Saturday.

James Scatuorchio's Ready to Please, winner of the Fantasy (GII), also galloped 1 1/4-miles under Justin Curran.

Although she is still listed as "unlikely" to run in the Oaks, Pletcher also plans to breeze Ready to Please on Saturday.

Jockey Garrett Gomez has the riding call in the Oaks aboard Wait a While.

WONDER LADY ANNE L/LAST ROMANCE - The Rick Dutrow-trained pair of Oaks hopefuls arrived at Churchill Downs on Thursday with eight other Dutrow runners under the care of Michelle Nevin.

Wonder Lady Anne L, owned by IEAH Stables, Joe Plumeri, Sanford H. Robbins LLC and Orchard Kids LLC, jogged a mile before the break with Nevin up.

Wonder Lady Anne L had worked Thursday at Palm Meadows in Florida.

"There were no clockers," Nevin said of the lack of a workout time, "but she breezed well."

Edgar Prado will have the Oaks mount on Wonder Lady Anne L.

Last Romance, owned by Sanford J. Goldfarb, Michael Dubb and Bunch of Characters Stable, galloped 1 1/2-miles after the renovation break Friday morning with Nevin up.

While Last Romance was believed to be pointing for the Oaks, Dutrow appears to have changed his mind and is leaning towards running the Wild Rush filly in the Gr. III La Troienne on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

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