Kentucky Oaks 134 Update: Feb. 29th

TOP STORIES:

• STREAKING BSHARPSONATA IN DAVONA DALE
• CHAMP INDIAN BLESSING TOPS FG OAKS NOMS
• ‘GORGEOUS’ HIGH WEIGHT IN CHINA DOLL

SOUTHEAST/FINE-TUNED BSHARPSONATA HEADS FIELD OF SIX IN DAVONA DALE – Cloverleaf Farm’s Bsharpsonata will put her three-race win streak on the line Sunday when she faces five foes in the one-mile Davona Dale Stakes (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park.

The versatile daughter of Pulpit has four stakes victories on her resume, including a main-track victory at the distance last September at Delaware Park in the Irish Sonnet Stakes. In her lone Gulfstream Park appearance, Bsharpsonata won the Feb. 9 Forward Gal Stakes (GII) at seven furlongs by a nose over Keep the Peace.

Bsharpsonata, who closed at 30-1 in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, took the Tropical Park Oaks and Selima Stakes on grass prior to her Forward Gal victory.

Two other individual propositions from the Oaks Future Wager are in the Davona Dale.

Zabeel Racing International’s Game Face, winner of the Old Hat Stakes (GII) at 6 ½ furlongs by 7 lengths on Jan. 12, closed at 18-1 in Pool 1 and Mike Tarp’s American County, winner of the Sunshine Million Oaks in her most recent start on Jan. 26, closed at 95-1.

The field for the Davona Dale, from the rail out, is as follows: Bsharpsonata, Augustin Stable’s Informed Decision, American County, Game Face, Zayat Stables’ J Z Warrior and Robbies & Emmas Racing Stables’ Robbie’s Gal.

SOUTH/INDIAN BLESSING, PROUD SPELL TOP NOMINATIONS FOR FAIR GROUNDS OAKS – Patti and Hal Earnhardt’s champion Indian Blessing and Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell, the 1-2 finishers in last fall’s Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) head the list of nominees for the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) to be run at a mile and a sixteenth on March 8 at the historic New Orleans track.

Undefeated in five starts, Indian Blessing is scheduled to make her second visit of the winter to Fair Grounds, where she defeated Proud Spell by a length in the Silverbulletday (GIII) at a mile and a sixteenth on Feb. 9.

Among the other nominees are the 3-4 finishers from the Silverbulletday, Briarwood Stable’s Highest Class and Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and JMJ Racing Stable’s Jolie the Cat.

Indian Blessing closed as the 4-1 favorite in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager that closed Feb. 10. Proud Spell closed at 8-1 and Jolie the Cat was a 35-1 risk.

WEST/GORGEOUS GOOSE HEADLINES CHINA DOLL – Mary Anne Denes and Mary Ellen Woelfel’s homebred Gorgeous Goose will tote high weight of 119 pounds and concede 2-4 pounds to six rivals in Saturday’s $90,000 China Doll Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

Trained by Mike Puype, Gorgeous Goose is unbeaten in two races on the turf and is the lone stakes winner in the field. The Florida-bred daughter of Mongoose out of the Big Spruce mare Gorgeous Me won the Blue Northern Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 30 in her most recent start. Jose Valdivia Jr., who has been aboard for the two grass wins, will ride Saturday.