Oaks Updates

Melnyk Racing Stables’ Sealy Hill made her first venture over the main track at Churchill Downs Monday morning, galloping a mile and a half under Julia Brimo. The Point Given filly had vanned over from Keeneland Sunday morning.

AUTOBAHN GIRL/SILVER KNOCKERS – The Live Oak Plantation’s Autobahn Girl continued her preparations for the Kentucky Oaks by working a half-mile in :48.60 over a track labeled “fast” with exercise rider Heather Stark up. The move was the sixth-fastest of 44 at the distance Monday morning at Churchill Downs.

“I’m very happy with the work and she will come back and work again Sunday,” trainer Nick Zito said. “Eddie Castro will ride her in the Oaks.”

Castro and Autobahn Girl hooked up once previously, an allowance win going a mile a Gulfstream Park in which the runner-up was another Oaks hopeful, Sealy Hill.

Silver Knockers, owned by Elk Manor Farm and James Moran, galloped with Stark up.

“We are kind of on the fence with her for the Oaks,” Zito said. “She will work Thursday and that will tell us more.”

CASH INCLUDED – J. Paul Reddam’s Cash Included galloped a mile and an eighth with exercise rider Froylan Garcia up before the renovation break Monday morning.

Wally Dollase, who is overseeing the filly’s preparations for his son Craig, said Cash Included is scheduled to work Thursday, weather permitting.

Corey Nakatani has the riding assignment.

COTTON BLOSSOM/OCTAVE/RAGS TO RICHES – Trainer Todd Pletcher’s trio of Kentucky Oaks 133 contenders were reported to be doing well on Monday following an active weekend that include their next-to-last major workouts before the $500,000-added race at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 4.

Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s Rags to Riches, winner of the Las Virgenes (GI) and the Santa Anita Oaks (GI), walked in Pletcher’s Keeneland shedrow on the day after she worked five furlongs in the company of Kentucky Derby-bound stablemate Circular Quay.

Starlight Stable and Paul Lucarelli’s Octave, runner-up in the Ashland (GI) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI), and Dogwood Stable’s Cotton Blossom, winner of the Florida Oaks and runner-up in the Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park, each returned to Keeneland’s Polytrack surface for a jog on Monday. The two fillies had worked on Saturday, recording five furlongs moves that tied as the fastest works of the day at the Lexington, Ky. track.

DAWN AFTER DAWN – Trainer Wesley Hawley reported all was well Monday morning with Dawn and Ike Thrash’s Dawn After Dawn, a day after the Successful Appeal filly worked five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 at the Trackside Training Center.

“She’s fantastic. She worked great, ate up and we couldn’t hold her on the ground this morning,” Hawley said.

Robby Albarado has the call for the Oaks.

HIGH AGAIN – Zayat Stables’ High Again galloped a mile and a half under Keith Allen on Monday morning and is scheduled to work after the break Tuesday, “weather permitting,” according to Kenny McCarthy, assistant to trainer Bill Mott.

Cornelio Velasquez has the Oaks riding assignment.

HIGH HEELS – Anita Ebert’s High Heels, runaway winner of the Fantasy (GII) in her most recent start, galloped Monday morning at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Jimmy Connolly up.

High Heels is nominated to both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby and trainer Gary Hartlage said “this morning it’s about 60-40 – 60 for the Oaks and 40 for the Derby. We will make our decision by Monday. I want to see how some of these other horses train plus she is going to work five-eighths [of a mile] either Friday, Saturday or Sunday, weather permitting. She’s ready.”

Joe Johnson, who has been aboard in all 10 of the filly’s starts, has the riding assignment.

Four of those 10 starts came at Churchill Downs and the first one, a 5 ½-furlong sprint on June 10, High Heels finished third, a nose in front of probable Oaks favorite Rags to Riches.

MISTICAL PLAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Mistical Plan galloped a mile and a half at Keeneland Monday morning with exercise rider Tony Romero up.

Trainer Doug O’Neill plans to work the filly on Friday and then ship to Churchill Downs on Sunday afternoon.

David Flores has the riding assignment in the Oaks.

SEALY HILL – Melnyk Racing Stables’ Sealy Hill made her first venture over the main track at Churchill Downs Monday morning, galloping a mile and a half under Julia Brimo.

The Point Given filly had vanned over from Keeneland Sunday morning.

It was also the first time at the track for Brimo, who has been a jockey for five years and rides primarily at Woodbine.

Norm Casse, son of trainer Mark Casse, said his father would be in Louisville mid-week with a Thursday work planned for the filly.

Patrick Husbands has the Oaks riding assignment.

SWIFT TEMPER – Mark Stanley’s Swift Temper had the day off Monday, limiting her activity to walking the shedrow at Barn 3 for trainer Bobby Barnett.

Barnett said that Julien Leparoux would be reunited with Swift Temper for the Oaks.

“He rode her the first time she ran last summer at Arlington,” Barnett said.

The six-furlong dash turned out to be a productive one with the winner, Sutra, going on to capture the Frizette (GI).

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