Kentucky Oaks 134 Update: Feb. 25th

TOP STORIES:

• DAVONA DALE NEXT FOR BSHARPSONATA
• LITTLE BELLE RINGS UP BUSHER VICTORY
• VALENTINE FEVER RISES LATE IN VALDALE
• DOMINGUEZ GETS MOUNT ON EIGHT BELLES

SOUTHEAST/BSHARPSONATA GEARS UP FOR DAVONA DALE – Cloverleaf Farm’s Bsharpsonata will look to extend her winning streak to four on Sunday in the $150,000 Davona Dale (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park.

    Bsharpsonata will enter the Davona Dale off a nose victory over Keep the Peace in the Forward Gal (GII) on Feb. 9. Trainer John Salzman hopes the one-mile Davona Dale will serve as a springboard to the Ashland Stakes (GI) at a mile and a sixteenth on Polytrack on April 5 and then on to the 134th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) on May 2.

    “We’re thinking of running at Keeneland,” Salzman said. “The only (surface) she hasn’t run well over is soft turf, but if she can do well on the Polytrack (at Keeneland), then we’ve got to make plans for Churchill Downs.”

    Bsharpsonata’s win in the Forward Gal marked a successful return to dirt.  She had won the Tropical Park Oaks at Calder and the Selima at Laurel in her two previous starts.

    The homebred daughter of Pulpit closed at odds of 30-1 in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Pool 1 that closed Feb. 10.  

    Among those expected to run in the Davona Dale are Zabeel Racing International’s Game Face, winner of the Old Hat (GII) at 6 ½ furlongs at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 12 for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Augustin Stable’s Informed Decision, a Feb. 2 allowance winner at Gulfstream trained by Jonathan Sheppard.
C J’s Leelee Off The Oaks Trail – Sarah Lyn Stable’s C J’s Leelee, runner-up in the unbeaten Pure Clan in the Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs in her final start of 2007, was declared off the Kentucky Oaks trail on Friday by trainer Ken McPeek. “(She has) a little issue that we’re going to have to give her some time off for,” McPeek said.

C J’s Leelee closed at odds of 48-1 in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.    

EAST/LITTLE BELLE ROLLS IN BUSHER – Darley Stables’ Little Belle, fresh off   a maiden victory on Feb. 1, rallied from just off the pace to win Sunday’s $81,600 Busher Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths over Sweet Vendetta. Ridden by Rajiv Maragh for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Little Belle covered the mile and a sixteenth over a fast track in 1:44.32.

    Little Belle is a daughter of A.P. Indy out of the Mr. Prospector mare Dubai Belle.

    Darlene Bilinski and Richard Fields’ Love Co, part of the favored entry, set all the early pace under Ramon Dominguez with Little Belle tracking in second. Little Belle disposed of Love Co at the top of the stretch and had plenty left to hold off Sweet Vendetta, who is owned by Team Penney Racing and David Cassidy. Robert Pierz’s Darling Monique was third, another 11 lengths back. Love Co faded to fourth, another three-quarters of a length back, in the field of six.

MIDWEST/VALENTINE FEVER NOSE BEST IN VALDALE – Lloyd Madison Farms, IV’s Valentine Fever caught  McKee Stable’s Love Buzz in the final jump Saturday to win the $50,000 Valdale Stakes at Turfway Park by a nose.

    Ridden by Thomas Pompell, Valentine Fever completed the mile over the Polytrack surface in 1:39.44. A homebred daughter of Stormin Fever out of the Gilded Time mare Betshe Hath a Way, Valentine Fever posted her second consecutive stakes victory at Turfway Park for trainer Greg Foley.

    Love Buzz broke alertly from post position 10 in the field of 11 and set all the fractions under jockey Dean Sarvis.  Trained by Dale Romans, Love Buzz opened a 3-length lead in the stretch but could not hold off Valentine Fever. Lovers Spat was another half-length back in third.

SOUTH/DOMINGUEZ GETS MOUNT ON EIGHT BELLES – Fox Hill Farms’ Eight Belles, a 13 ½-length winner of a division of the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 17, will have a new rider when she makes her next scheduled start in the Honeybee Stakes (GIII) on March 16 at Oaklawn Park.

    Trainer Larry Jones has given the call to Ramon Dominguez, who will replace Terry Thompson who was aboard for the Martha Washington score.

    “Eight Belles will be campaigning in New York this summer,” Jones said, “and we feel that we should have a top New York rider for her. No knock on Terry. We’ve done well with him.”

    In the Honeybee, Eight Belles is expected to face IEAH Stables and Lewis Lakin’s undefeated Pure Clan, winner of the Pocahontas (GIII) and Golden Rod (GII) stakes last fall at Churchill Downs. The Honeybee will mark the 2008 debut for Pure Clan.