Oaks Updates

SOUTHEAST/PLETCHER'S COTTON BLOSSOM WINS FLORIDA OAKS IN '07 DEBUT - Dogwood Stable's Cotton Blossom, third to champion Dreaming of Anna in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GII) in November at Churchill Downs, returned to competition on Saturday with a stylish victory in the $200,000 Florida Oaks that puts her firmly on the road to Louisville and the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) on May 4.

            The daughter of Broken Vow won for the third time in six races and snapped a three-race losing streak as she turned back 69-1 shot Suaveness to win by two lengths at Tampa Bay Downs.  Trainer Todd Pletcher was pleased with the filly's effort following her 4 ½-month layoff and considers her a strong candidate to give him his second victory in the Kentucky Oaks.

            "She had a hard campaign at two, so we just decided to send her to Aiken (S.C.) and freshen her up after the Breeders' Cup," he said.  "She's a big, scopey filly who we always thought would improve with distance,"

            Pletcher, who won the 2004 Kentucky Oaks with champion filly Ashado, said Cotton Blossom could run next in the Ashland (GI) at Keeneland or Apple Blossom (GII) at Oaklawn Park, but also said it was possible that she would not run again before the Oaks.

            Marie's Kitty finished third.  Live Oak Plantation's Autobahn Girl, who had won the Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs in her previous start, saw her three-race win streak snapped after she broke poorly and finished fourth for trainer Nick Zito.

CENTRAL/TIME'S MISTRESS PUTS LUKAS BACK IN OAKS PICTURE - Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has four victories in the Kentucky Oaks to his credit, but was on the outside looking in on this year's Oaks picture until Time's Mistress rolled to a surprising win in Friday's $75,000 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

            Charles Kidder's daughter of Mr. Greeley rolled past favored Devil House on the far turn and cruised to an easy 4 ¾-length over High Heels.  The late running Grace Happens, also trained by Lukas, finished third while favored Devil House saw a five-race winning streak evaporate as she faded in the stretch to finish fifth.

            John Jacinto was aboard Time's Mistress, who covered 1 1/16-miles in 1:45.40.  Lukas won his fifth Honeybee, a race won last year by eventual Kentucky Oaks runner-up Ermine.

            Lukas' Kentucky Oaks winners were Blush With Pride (1982), Lucky Lucky Lucky (‘84), Open Mind (‘89) and Seaside Attraction ('90).  He is tied for second in all-time Oaks wins with Calumet Farm legend Ben Jones and is one behind the late Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens, who won a record five runnings of the great race for 3-year-old fillies.

WHATDREAMSRMADEOF INJURED, RETIRED - Casa Farms I LLC's Whatdreamsrmadeof, third to Mistical Plan in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GIII) on March 10, suffered an injury in that race that has ended her racing career.

            Trainer Tom Amoss said Whatdreamsrmadeof fractured a sesamoid in the race and had been retired to launch a new career in the breeding shed.

WEST/BAFFERT'S TOUGH TIZ'S SIS TAKES SUNLAND OAKS - Trainer Bob Baffert was disappointed when he had to scratch morning line favorite Law Breaker from Sunday's $600,000 WinStar Derby at New Mexico's Sunland Park, but the day was saved for Baffert when his improving 3-year-old filly Tough Tiz's Sis put herself on the road to the Kentucky Oaks with a sharp victory in the $200,000 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks.

            The daughter of Tiznow rallied on the far turn and rolled to an easy 3 ¾-length victory under Victor Espinoza.  Tough Tiz's Sis had overcome major traffic problems to score an impressive allowance win at Santa Anita in her previous start and a record crowd of 16,284 sent her off as the even-money favorite in the Sunland Oaks.  She has now won three of six races.

            Tough Tiz's Sis covered 1 1/16-miles in 1:45.18.  Swiss Current finished second and Purely Surprized was third.  Nice Inheritance, the Steve Asmussen-trained second choice, finished seventh in the field of nine fillies under jockey Garrett Gomez.

            Magnificience Ready To Move Into Stakes Company - The Bruce Headley-trained Magnificience, one of the more impressive maiden winners of the winter at Santa Anita, is scheduled to step up into stakes company in her next start.

            The daughter of Stormy Atlantic is scheduled to run in the 6 ½-furlong Santa Paula Stakes On April 1.  Magnificience broke poorly in her 6 ½-furlong debut on March 11, then rallied from 10 lengths off the pace to win by a comfortable 6 ½-lengths under a hand ride from Alex Solis.

EAST/WINTER WEATHER DELAYS CICADA - Winter weather wiped out the St. Patrick's Day weekend racing card at New York's Aqueduct and forced the postponement of Saturday's 15^th running of the $100,000 Cicada (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies.

            The six-furlong race is now scheduled for Saturday, March 24.

            A field of eight fillies - headed by the Shug McGaughey-trained Five Star Daydream - had been entered in the Cicada.  The race will be reopened to all 26 of its original nominees when entries are drawn on Thursday.

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