Oaks News

MIDWEST/MISTICAL PLAN, OCTAVE HAVE FAIR GROUNDS OAKS REMATCH IN ASHLAND - J. Paul Reddam's Mistical Plan and Starlight Stable and Paul Lucarelli's Octave, the 1-2 finishers in the recent Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II), are set for an intriguing rematch in Saturday's 70th running of the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.

The 1 1/8-mile race is the Lexington, Ky. track's premier event for 3-year-old fillies and has attracted a strong field of nine.

Mistical Plan's victory in the Fair Grounds Oaks gave the Doug O'Neill-trained filly her second consecutive victory. The California-bred daughter of Game Plan won the Sunshine Million Oaks at Santa Anita prior to her front-running 3 ½-length win at the Fair Grounds.

Octave, a gray-roan daughter of Unbridled's Song trained by Todd Pletcher, turned in her solid effort at the New Orleans track in her first race since a runner-up finish to champion Dreaming of Anna in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

Robby Albarado will ride Mistical Plan, while Garrett Gomez has the mount on Octave.

Other major contenders include High Again and Christmas Kid, who split a pair of stakes races at Gulfstream Park. Christmas Kid defeated High Again by four lengths in the one-mile Davona Dale (GII) in February, but High Again returned the favor in beating Christmas Kid by 1 ½ lengths in their rematch in last month's 1 1/8-mile Bonnie Miss (GII).

Other contenders in the Ashland include Silver Knockers, Dawn After Dawn, Grace Happens, Hucking Hot and Elitist.

PLETCHER'S COTTON BLOSSOM TOPS OAKLAWN'S FANTASY - Dogwood Stable's Cotton Blossom, an impressive winner of the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs in her first start of the year, tunes up for a run in the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) at Churchill Downs with a run in Saturday's $250,000 Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park.

The daughter of Broken Vow is trained by Todd Pletcher, who saddled Ready to Please to win last year's renewal of the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies. Cotton Blossom won Saratoga's Schuylerville (GIII) at two and finished third to eventual 2-year-old filly champion Dreaming of Anna and stablemate Octave in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Other contenders in the field of eight for the Fantasy include the Doug O'Neill-trained Cash Included, the California-based winner of the Oak Leaf Breeders' Cup (GI) at two. The daughter of Include has chased Kentucky Oaks favorite Rags to Riches home in a pair of starts over the winter at Santa Anita.

Other contenders include the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Time's Mistress and High Heels, the 1-2 finishers in the recent Honeybee at Oaklawn, and Devil House, who had a five-race win streak snapped when she finished fifth as the favorite in the Honeybee.

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