Oaks Updates

Frank Calabrese's Dreaming of Anna, winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and the champion 2-year-old filly of 2006, took a van ride from Keeneland to Churchill Downs on Thursday to continue preparations for a possible bid for the 133^rd running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I).

"We're leaning toward it," said Catalano.

AUTOBAHN GIRL/SILVER KNOCKERS - Overnight and morning rain that produced a sloppy track forced trainer Nick Zito to push back a scheduled work for Elk Manor Farm and James Moran's Silver Knockers to Friday.

Instead, Silver Knockers and the Live Oak Plantation's Autobahn Girl both galloped a mile with exercise rider Heather Stark up.

CASH INCLUDED - J. Paul Reddam's Cash Included galloped a mile over the sloppy main track at Churchill Downs Thursday morning. Exercise rider Froylan Garcia was up.

Wally Dollase, handling the filly's training for his son Craig, had planned to work Cash Included this morning but opted to wait at least a day to see what the weather did in Louisville.

"I like to work every six or seven days," said Dollase, who last worked the filly a half-mile on April 20.

Corey Nakatani, who will ride Cash Included in the Oaks, is scheduled to handle the work.

COTTON BLOSSOM/OCTAVE/RAGS TO RICHES - Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2004 Kentucky Oaks with Ashado, has set the training schedule for his three contenders for this year's renewal of the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Pletcher said that Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, who is expected to be the strong favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, would turn in her final pre-race breeze on Sunday. Her Oaks-bound stablemates - Ashland (GI) runner-up Octave and Florida Oaks winner Cotton Blossom - are set to work on Saturday.

Rags to Riches, a chestnut daughter of A.P. Indy who won the Las Virgenes (GI) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI), galloped 1 ½-miles on Thursday under exercise rider Loren Robson.

Starlight Stable and Paul Lucarelli's Octave galloped 1 3/8-miles under exercise rider Pierre Godoy.

Cotton Blossom, owned by Dogwood Stable, galloped 1 3/8-miles with exercise rider Valerie Buck in the irons.

DAWN AFTER DAWN - The fast-closing, third-place finisher in the Ashland Stakes (GI) Dawn After Dawn galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Bill Wilson at the Trackside Training Center. The track was labeled "sloppy."

Owned by Dawn and Ike Thrash, the filly is scheduled to train Friday morning at Trackside and then van over to Churchill Downs later in the day. She is scheduled to work Sunday.

Robby Albarado has the Oaks riding assignment.

DREAMING OF ANNA - Frank Calabrese's Dreaming of Anna, winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and the champion 2-year-old filly of 2006, took a van ride from Keeneland to Churchill Downs on Thursday to continue preparations for a possible bid for the 133^rd running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I).

"We're leaning toward it," said Catalano. "I'm supposed to wait and work her on the dirt at Churchill, and then make a decision."

Trainer Wayne Catalano said that, if weather permits, he would work the champion over the Churchill Downs track on Saturday. She scored her Breeders' Cup victory to complete an unbeaten juvenile season over that track last November.

Dreaming of Anna has failed to win in two starts as a 3-year-old. She finished third to Dream Rush in the Old Hat (GIII) at Gulfstream Park, then was second to Audacious Chloe in the Gaily Gaily on the turf at the Florida track. But Catalano said Dreaming of Anna has trained so strongly in recent weeks that he and Calabrese started taking a serious look at the 1 1/8-mile Oaks.

"She's been training super," said Catalano. "She worked seven-eighths in [a minute and] 25 the other day, and galloped out a mile in [a minute and] 37, so she's right back on track training pretty. She seems to be back doing the same thing she was doing last fall, so we might as well consider it at the moment."

Dreaming of Anna galloped over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland before she boarded the van for the ride to Churchill Downs. She arrived at the Louisville track around 2 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday.

HIGH AGAIN - Zayat Stables' Bonnie Miss (GII) winner High Again galloped a mile and an eighth at Churchill Downs with Keith Allen up.

Kenny McCarthy, assistant to trainer Bill Mott, said High Again would likely have her final pre-Oaks work Monday.

Cornelio Velasquez has the mount.

HIGH HEELS - Anita Ebert's High Heels continued to train forwardly for her engagement in the Kentucky Oaks by galloping a mile and a half under Jimmy Connolly shortly after the track at Churchill Downs opened for training Thursday morning.

"She is doing real good and this morning she liked the mud," trainer Gary Hartlage said.

Never worse than fifth in 10 career starts, High Heels, who will be ridden by Joe Johnson, comes into the Oaks off a 6 ¾-length victory in the Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park on April 6.

"If she runs back to her race in the Fantasy, it could be interesting," Hartlage said. "I think she has a real shot if she can put two races like that in a row."

MISTICAL PLAN - J. Paul Reddam's Mistical Plan jogged a mile and galloped a mile and a half Thursday morning at Keeneland with exercise rider Tony Romero up.

The Doug O'Neill trainee is scheduled to work six furlongs Friday morning at Keeneland with Romero up.

David Flores has the Oaks riding assignment.

SEALY HILL - With Julia Brimo up, Melnyk Racing Stables' Sealy Hill galloped a mile and a half through a solid rain after the renovation break at Churchill Downs.

The filly is scheduled to work Friday morning after the break.

Patrick Husbands has the Oaks riding assignment.

SWIFT TEMPER - Mark Stanley's Swift Temper galloped a mile and a half Thursday morning at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Mario Covento up.

Trainer Bobby Barnett plans to work the Giant's Causeway filly Saturday morning.

Julien Leparoux has the Oaks riding assignment.

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