Oaks Updates

WEST/RAGS TO RICHES POSSIBLE FOR BOUT WITH BOYS IN SANTA ANITA DERBY – Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s Rags To Riches, a two-time Grade I stakes winner this year and a strong favorite for the 133^rd running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) at Churchill Downs, could test males in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in her next start.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he is leaving “all options open” for the daughter of A.P. Indy, who was a dominating winner over fillies in the recent Santa Anita Oaks (GI) and earlier won the Las Virgenes (GI).  Her chances of meeting the boys in the April 7 Santa Anita Derby appear to have increased with a leg injury suffered by Ravel, Pletcher’s top West Coast hope for the Kentucky Derby.  That injury knocked Ravel out of consideration for both the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

“She’ll either run there or in the Ashland (GI) at Keeneland on April 7, or just train up to the Kentucky Oaks,” Pletcher told the Daily Racing Form. “I won’t make a decision on that until next week.”

Pletcher, who won the Oaks with Ashado in 2004, also trains major 2007 Kentucky Oaks contenders in Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) runner-up Octave and Florida Oaks winner Cotton Blossom.     

MIDWEST/SILVERINYOURPOCKET NARROWLY FAVORED IN BOURBONETTE – When Lemons Forever finished a late-running third in last year’s running of the $150,000 Bourbonette Breeders’ Cup (GIII) at Turfway Park, few would have predicted that just over a month later she would be wearing the lilies that annually go to the winner of the Kentucky Oaks.

A dozen 3-year-old fillies will be hoping to follow a similar path to Oaks glory when they compete in Saturday’s 2007 renewal of the 1 1/16-mile Bourbonette over Turfway’s Polytrack surface.

            Mr. and Mrs. David Randal’s Silverinyourpocket, an impressive allowance winner last time out at Gulfstream Park, is the narrow 3-1 morning line favorite for the Bourbonette Breeders’ Cup.  Rafael Bejarano will ride the daughter of Silver Deputy for trainer Helen Pitts.

Other contenders include Overbrook Farm’s Floral Park (4-1), who upset Grade I winner Sutra in a recent Oaklawn Park allowance race; Melnyk Racing Stable’s Sealy Hill (4-1), winner of the Glorious Song at Woodbine; and the Todd Pletcher-trained Panty Raid (9-2).

EAST/RESCHEDULED CICADA SET FOR SATURDAY – The field of seven 3-year-old fillies entered for the 15^th running of the $100,000 Cicada (GIII) at Aqueduct looks much like the one entered a week ago before a winter blast forced postponement of the race.

Stewart Armstrong’s Five Star Daydream, idle since a third-place finish as the favorite in Aqueduct’s Tempted in early November, and Control System, a Maryland-based filly with two easy wins at Philadelphia Park, loom as the likely favorites in the six-furlong Cicada.

CENTRAL/MI ISABELLA HEADS CRESCENT CITY OAKS – J. T. Pass Family Racing and Allan Peterson’s Mi Isabella heads a field of nine Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Crescent City Oaks on the closing weekend of the Fair Grounds meet.

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