Kentucky Oaks Update: Feb. 15th

TOP STORIES: 

• Nominations Close Saturday for Oaks 134
• Eight Belles, Tizaqueena In Split Washington
• IEAH Stable Buys Interest In Pure Clan
• Calico Bay Romps In OBS Filly Division

NOMINATION DEADLINE LOOMS SATURDAY FOR KENTUCKY OAKS 134 – Nominations for the 134th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (Grade I), scheduled for Friday, May 2 at Churchill Downs, will close at midnight (EST) on Saturday, Feb. 16. 

Nomination to the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks, America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, requires a nomination fee of $100.  Supplemental nominations to the Oaks are accepted at the time of entry for a fee of $25,000.

Last year’s Kentucky Oaks was won by Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Rags to Riches, who would notch an historic victory over males in the Belmont Stakes (GI), the third jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, in her next start for two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer and four-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher.  The daughter of A.P. Indy was named the champion 3-year-old filly of 2007. 

Rags to Riches was one of a record 192 fillies nominated to the 2007 Kentucky Oaks.

Other fillies who won the Kentucky Oaks on their way to 3-year-old championship honors in recent years have included Ashado (2004), Bird Town (’03), Farda Amiga (’02), Silverbulletday (’99), Open Mind (’89), and Tiffany Lass (’86).  Fillies that failed to win the Oaks but went on to earn Eclipse Award championship honors in their 3-year-old seasons include Wait A While (3rd in 2006), Banshee Breeze (2nd in ’98), and Go for Wand (2nd in 1990).

The field for the Kentucky Oaks is restricted to 14 fillies.  If a greater number of fillies should be entered in the race, preference will be given to the horses that have accumulated the highest earnings in graded stakes races.  Entries for the Kentucky Oaks will be accepted on Tuesday, April 29.

The Kentucky Oaks shares its Feb. 16 nomination deadline with the $500,000-added Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (GI), a 1 1/8-mile grass race for 3-year-olds and up scheduled to be run immediately prior to the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on Saturday, May 3.

The nomination fee for the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic is also $100, and supplemental entries may be made at the time of entry for a fee of $25,000.

More information on nominations to the Kentucky Oaks and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic is available by calling Churchill Downs Racing at (502) 636-4470.  Nominations may be made via fax at (502) 636-4479.  Nomination forms are available for the Kentucky Oaks and the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic are available for download on the Churchill Downs Web site at 

http://www.churchilldowns.com/racing_information/horsemen/stakes_nominations_forms/. 

SOUTH/OAKS FUTURE WAGER FILLIES IN SPLIT WASHINGTON – Eight Belles and Tizaqueena, two of the individual betting interests in last week’s opening pool of Churchill Downs’ 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, head their respective divisions of Sunday’s $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park.  The one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies that was split into two divisions after it attracted an overflow field at the entry box.

Fox Hill Farms’ Eight Belles, who closed at 22-1 in Pool 1 on Sunday, comes off a 15-length allowance win on Jan. 21 at Fair Grounds. A Kentucky-bred daughter of Unbridled’s Song out of the Dixieland Band mare Away, Eight Belles has a record of 6-2-2-1 with earnings of $68,650. She is trained by J. Larry Jones, who trains another Kentucky Oaks contender in Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell, runner-up to unbeaten champion Indian Blessing in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and last week’s Silverbulletday (GIII) at Fair Grounds. Eight Belles will face seven rivals in the second division.

Stonerside Stable’s homebred Tizaqueena, who closed at 48-1 in the opening Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool, enters the Martha Washington off a runner-up finish in the Jan. 12 Tiffany Lass at Fair Grounds. Trained by Michael Stidham, Tizaqueena has a record of 2-1-1-0 with earnings of $43,400. She is by Tiznow out of the Mr. Prospector mare Issaqueena.  Her eight rivals in the first division include Sky Mom, the Steve Asmussen-trained winner of the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies at Turfway Park.

Interest In Unbeaten Pure Clan Purchased By IEAH Stables – IEAH Stables has acquired a majority ownership interest in the undefeated Pure Clan, winner of Churchill Downs’ Pocahontas (Grade III) and Golden Rod (GII).

A half-sister to Greater Good, who finished 13th in the 2005 Kentucky Derby, Pure Clan has won her four starts, her first two on turf courses, by a combined 12 ¾ lengths.  She is expected to make her 2008 debut in the $100,000 Honeybee Stakes (GIII) on March 16 at Oaklawn Park.

“Pure Clan no question is the best filly I have ever trained,” said veteran conditioner Bob Holthus, who will continue to train Pure Clan. “She’s equally as good on dirt and grass.”

Pure Clan closed at odds of 10-1 in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Pool 1. A daughter of Pure Prize out of the General Assembly mare Gather the Clan, Pure Clan will race in the silks of IEAH Stables although initial owner Lewis Lakin retained a piece of ownership.

SOUTHEAST/CALICO BAY RULES AT OCALA – Ione and Herbert J. Elkins’ Calico Bay made short work of 11 foes on Monday in winning the $100,000 filly division of the Darley-Ocala Breeders’ Sales (OBS) Championship at Florida’s Ocala Training Center.

The Bill Kaplan trainee won by eight lengths over Indy’s Alexandra, completing the mile and a sixteenth in 1:46.40 over the all-weather track. A daughter of Three Wonders out of the Country Pine mare Countrywishingwell, Calico Bay won the My Dear Girl division of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder last year and began 2008 with a fourth-place finish on Jan. 1 in the Tropical Park Oaks.

Monday’s race was restricted to graduates of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales.

Sunday Holiday Makes 2008 Debut Saturday – Zayat Stables’ graded-stakes placed Sunday Holiday is scheduled to make her 2008 debut against eight rivals in Saturday’s $75,000 Suncoast Stakes at a mile and 40 yards at Tampa Bay Downs.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Sunday Holiday placed in last year’s Frizette (GI) and Tempted (GIII). Her main rival in the prep for the March 15 Florida Oaks (GIII) figures to be Valucluse, a Tom Albertrani trainee who is undefeated in two career starts.