South Fillies Seek Lilies

Greetings filly fans. I'm Joel Cunningham and I will be covering the South Region, which will include Kentucky Oaks prep action from Florida to Louisiana leading up to the Run for the Lillies on the first Friday in May.

The Kentucky Oaks picture is usually very unclear this time of the year and 2008 looks no different. But one thing that is certain is the South Region annually produces many of the race's top contenders. In the last 10 years, such champions as Silverbulletday and Ashado have taken the New Orleans path on their way to Kentucky Oaks glory, as well as recent winners Summerly and Lemons Forever. Florida has produced such Oaks winners in recent history as champion Bird Town and Secret Status, giving the South Region six winners of the prestigious race in the last decade.

Enough of the history lesson. Get ready to follow me for the next four months as we uncover the Oaks contenders and pretenders coming out of the South Region, with in-depth coverage of such top prep races as the Davona Dale and Bonnie Miss at Gulfstream Park, the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs and the Silverbulletday and Fair Grounds Oaks in New Orleans, to name a handful.

Your comments and participation are key along the way. I invite you to ask any and all questions pertaining to this year's Kentucky Oaks, and please feel free to comment and let me know what you think. Whether it be positive or negative, I want to hear your thoughts.

Let's get ready to have some fun!