Contenders

Steve Asmussen

In 2002, Asmussen won his first national training title by number of victories, as his outfit saddled an impressive 407 winners. However, he outdid himself in 2004, winning a record 555 races. He continued his winning ways in 2005, taking 474 races and earning $13.3 million in purses. His training career began with both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses in New Mexico in 1986. He has won training titles at Lone Star Park, Keeneland, Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Remington Park, Sam Houston, and Retama Park, and is the all-time leading trainer at Lone Star. He was born into a racing family - his father, Keith, is a former jockey; his mother, Marilyn, is a trainer, and brother Cash was a champion rider in the U.S. and Europe. He won the 2005 Kentucky Oaks with Summerly.

TBA

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable is owned and operated by Houston residents Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, high school sweethearts who graduated from the University of Texas. They got their start with Texas Quarter Horses in cutting competition, campaigning Meradas Little Sue to three world championships. They began racing thoroughbreds in 1988 through various partnerships. The stable has a particular fondness for 2-year-old racing. Heiligbrodt was award by the Texas Thoroughbred Association for garnering the most Accredited Texas-bred money in 2005. They have campaigned Grade 1 winners Golden Ballet and Cashier’s Dream. Recent stakes winners include Posse, Gaff, Lunerpal, and Bwana Charlie. Perhaps the most successful horse to have run under the Heiligbrodt flag would be Lady Tak, a millionaire who set stakes records in two Grade 1 races. Heiligbrodt has run two horses in the Kentucky Derby: Southern Rhythm (7^th in 1994) and Blow Out (7^th in 1996).

Luann Baker (FL)

Luann Baker grew up in Ohio where her father rehabilitated racehorses. Luann claimed her first racehorse in 1978 at Latonia Race Track (now Turfway Park), where she met her future husband, trainer Ray Baker. Their first farm was outside Grove City, Ohio, where they trained and rehabilitated racehorses, including stakes winner Tour d'Or. Throughout the 80's the Bakers criss-crossed between Florida and Ohio, deciding in 1990 to permanently locate to Ocala, Florida. The Bakers are now retired from the Thoroughbred business.

Appealing Zophie is by Successful Appeal, a top sprinter and middle distance horse at the close of the 1990's. Successful Appeal captured graded stakes during his two through 4-year-old campaigns. He is by the speed-influenced Valid Appeal out of Fortunate Prospect mare Successful Dancer. His female family includes graded stakes winner Suave Prospect and former Kentucky Derby starter Wild Horses. Successful Appeal's biggest achiever to date has been Closing Argument, who finished 2^nd in the 2005 Kentucky Derby and earned nearly one-million dollars. Other stakes winners include Accountforthegold, Richwoman, and Lunerpal. Successful Appeal stands for $40,000 at Walmac Farm in Kentucky.

Appealing Zophie's dam, Zophie, was a winner of five starts and $74,706 from 32 starts. Zophie is by Hawkster, a world record setter at 1 1/2 miles on the turf, out of a Seattle Slew mare, an solid mix of both speed and stamina. Appealing Zophie is one of her dam's five foals and first stakes winner. Zophie is a half-sister to stakes winner Yankee Mon, an earner of over $200,000. Their dam, Sodeo Sodeo, is a half-sister to Florida Derby winner Croeso. This is a very strong family that also includes winners of the Santa Ysabel (Maytide), Mervyn LeRoy Handicap (Super May), Davona Dale (Diamond on the Run), and multiple graded stakes winner and early 1996 Kentucky Derby favorite Ide.

Appealing Zophie has no inbreeding in her first four generations, but is inbred 5x5 through a pair of dams, on her sire's bottom half, to 1965 Kentucky Derby winner Lucky Debonair. Appealing Zophie's sire is a direct descendant of the great Man o' War, and her dam traces directly to Nearco, giving her some of the most royal racing blood from the first half of the 20th century.

Coming Oaks week.