Rags to Riches made short work of an accomplished field of 3-year-old fillies in the 133rd Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, benefiting from a picture perfect ride under jockey Garrett Gomez to pull away from second-place finisher Octave by 4 ¼-lengths.
With minutes to go leading up to the 133rd running of the Kentucky Oaks, Rags to Riches has attracted all of the attention on the track and in the mutuel pool. She is set to go off as the solid f
From the smell of hay and manure to the sound of iron horse shoes against the concrete, the backside of Churchill Downs track is a special place to be. The sun rises as horses work for their moment of glory on that first Saturday in May.
Led by 5-2 morning line favorite Rags to Riches, who drew post 11, Friday’s 133rd Kentucky Oaks drew a full field of 14 when entries were taken at the Churchill Downs’ Racing Office Tuesday morning.
Anita Ebert's High Heels, the runaway winner of the Fantasy (GII) in her most recent start, tuned up for her Oaks engagement by working five furlongs over a "fast" track in 1:00 under jockey Joe Johnson before the renovation break Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the winner of the Las Virgenes (Grade I) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) at Santa Anita, closed as the strongest favorite in the history of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Oaks Future Wager ("KOFW") as wagering in the bet's third and final pool of 2007 drew to a close early Sunday evening.
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the winner of the Las Virgenes (Grade I) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) at Santa Anita, continued to be a solid favorite heading into Sunday's final day of betting in Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager ("KOFW").
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the winner of the Las Virgenes (Grade I) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) at Santa Anita, remained a strong favorite at the midpoint of betting in Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager ("KOFW").
Boca Grande confronted post-time favorite Perfect Forest at the top of the stretch and bounded home to an impressive 1 ½-length victory in the $150,000 Comely (Grade 2) at Aqueduct, silencing her critics and marking herself as a very serious contender for the 133rd Kentucky Oaks.
The $150,000 Comely (Grade 2) at Aqueduct is New York's last major prep for the Kentucky Oaks on May 4. For Boca Grande it is a last chance to prove to her connections she deserves a place in the starting gate at Churchill Downs three weeks from now.
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the Todd Pletcher-trained winner of the Las Virgenes (Grade I) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) at Santa Anita, stood as a solid favorite following the first day of Pool 3 of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager ("KOFW") as the pool opened its four-day run on Thursday.
The $250,000 Stonerside Beaumont (Grade 2), run at Keeneland on Thursday, boasted a trio of individual betting interests in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. All three failed to hit the board as the relatively unknown Street Sounds won the race in determined fashion by a neck over Forever Together.
The $250,000 Beaumont, a Grade 2 race to be run at Keeneland on Thursday, has lured a solid field of eight sophomore fillies looking at their last chance to punch a ticket to the Kentucky Oaks. The contingent is led by Florida shipper Forever Together and California invader Baroness Thatcher.
Christmas Kid hugged the rail and shot to the front entering the stretch under jockey Rene Douglas before holding off a hard charging Octave by a head to win the $500,000 Ashland (Grade 1) at Keeneland.
High Heels, bred and owned by Anita Ebert, and trained by Gary "(Red Dog" Hartlage, blew past Cotton Blossom, the 1-2 favorite, in mid-stretch, and drew clear for a stunning six and three-quarter-length victory in the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes before a crowd of 12,201 Friday afternoon at Oaklawn Park.
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 $500,000 Ashland (Grade 1) at Keeneland has assembled the year's most talented group of sophomore fillies to date. Nine fillies from across the country are set to do battle, each seeking a berth in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 4.
The Grade Two Fantasy Stakes drew Tuesday with a field of eight 3-year-old distaffers, with shippers coming from all over the country to take on the locals. Two of the more accomplished fillies, Cash Included and Cotton Blossom, figure to vie for favoritism in Friday’s feature, which kicks off Oaklawn’s Racing Festival of the South.
The U.A.E. Derby (Grade 2) was created as what Godolphin hoped would be the most important and prestigious Kentucky Derby prep race held outside of the United States. This year Godolphin is hoping it can launch their highly prized 3-year-old filly Folk to success in the Kentucky Oaks.
Sealy Hill struck the front at the top of the stretch and just held off a determined Panty Raid in the final yards of Saturday's $150,000 Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (Grade 3). The top pair may have established themselves as potential contenders for the Kentucky Oaks.
An overflow field of 14 has been entered in the $150,000 Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (Grade 3), a one-mile test for 3-year-old fillies to be run at Turfway Park on Saturday's stakes filled card. The size of the field is matched by the quality it has attracted, boasting stakes winners Olivine, Our Dancing Babe, and Sealy Hill, as well as other highly touted youngsters Silverinyourpocket, Floral Park, and Bavarian Belle.
Many people thought D. Wayne Lukas would win a 3-year-old stakes race this weekend at Oaklawn Park. Most thought that would come in the Grade 3 Rebel on Saturday. However, Lukas got his win a day earlier than expected when Time's Mistress turned the tables on some familiar rivals and galloped home to a big 4 ¾-length victory in the $100,000 Honeybee.