Kentucky Oaks 134 Update: March 7th

TOP STORIES:
- Round Three for Indian Blessing, Proud Spell in Fair Grounds Oaks
- Golden Doc A Tops Santa Anita Oaks Field
- Unbeaten Saki to Me Heads Wide Country

SOUTH/UNDEFEATED INDIAN BLESSING EYES SIXTH STRAIGHT –Hal and Patti Earnhardt’s unbeaten Indian Blessing will face a familiar foe Saturday when she goes after her sixth victory in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II) in New Orleans.

The Bob Baffert-trained champion filly of 2007 is bidding to become the first juvenile filly champion to win the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) since Mike Pegram’s Silverbulletday won the race in 1999.  That filly was also trained by Baffert.

Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell, second to Indian Blessing in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) in October and in the Feb. 9 Silverbulletday (GIII) at Fair Grounds, is back to try again in the mile and a sixteenth race that drew only two other entries.

Indian Blessing emerged as the 3-1 favorite after Thursday’s opening day of Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.  Her 5-for-5 record also includes victories in Belmont Park’s Frizette (GI) and Santa Ynez (GII) at Santa Anita. Proud Spell, winner of last fall’s Matron (GII) at Belmont Park was listed as the 6-1 second choice in handicapper Mike Battaglia’s morning line odds for the year’s second Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool, but she stood at 20-1 after Thursday’s opening session of the four-day pool.

Indian Blessing and Proud Spell will break side-by-side from posts one and two, respectively. Garrett Gomez has the call on Indian Blessing and Gabriel Saez will partner Proud Spell, trained by Larry Jones.

Completing the field are Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Acacia and Tomisue Hilbert and John Menard’s Wisconsin Lady. Acacia, coming off a maiden win on Feb. 22, is not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, but Wisconsin Lady, a maiden winner last fall at Churchill Downs is. Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Acacia and break from post three; Robby Albarado has the call on Wisconsin Lady and exit post four.

WEST/GOLDEN DOC A FACES EIGHT IN SANTA ANITA OAKS – Three individual betting interests in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Oaks Future Wager are scheduled to square off Saturday in the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks (GI) at a mile and a sixteenth over the Cushion Track surface at Santa Anita.

Ron McCauley’s Golden Doc A, 22-1 after Thursday’s opening day of betting in the Oaks Future pool, is the morning line favorite for the Santa Anita Oaks, which was won a year ago by eventual Kentucky Oaks winner and 3-year-old filly champion Rags to Riches.  Other Kentucky Oaks Future Wager fillies in the field are Michael Bello’s Lovely Isle, a 77-1 risk after day one, and Michael House’s Final Fling, who was 99-1 in Thursday’s Oaks Future betting.

Golden Doc A and Lovely Isle ran 1-2 in the Las Virgenes (GI) at a mile on Feb. 9. Final Fling has not been out since winning the Santa Ysabel (GIII) on Jan. 13 at a mile and a sixteenth.

Other Kentucky Oaks nominees in the Santa Anita Oaks field are IEAH Stables, Pegasus Holding Group Stables and Smith’s Ariege, Bill Currin and Al Eisman’s Divine Legacy, Holly and David Wilson’s Briecat, Zayat Stables’ Sunday Holiday and Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss’ Kazamira.

Like Golden Doc A and Final Fling, Briecat enters the race off a successful run in stakes company.  Briecat won the Arizona Oaks going a mile at Turf Paradise on Feb. 9 for her second victory in as many career starts.

The field for the Santa Anita Oaks, from the rail out, is as follows: Lovely Isle, Briecat, Divine Legacy, Final Fling, Seattle Smooth, Sunday Holiday, Golden Doc A, Ariege and Kazamira.

EAST/SAKI TO ME MAKES 2008 DEBUT IN WIDE COUNTRY – Morris Bailey’s Saki to Me, who is undefeated in three career starts, will face seven rivals Saturday when she makes her 2008 racing debut in the $70,000 Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park.

Trained by Edmond Gaudet, Saki to Me will be making her first start since winning the Blue Hen at Delaware Park on Oct. 27. Saki to Me, a daughter of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, will share top weight of 122 pounds with Fitzhugh LLC’s Hartigan and concede six pounds to the rest of the field.

Saki to Me is one of two Kentucky Oaks nominees in the field that will go seven furlongs. The other is Jeff Singer’s Armonk, who enters the Wide Country off a second-place finish to Ready for Fortune in the Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 17.

CHAMPION INDIAN BLESSING FAVORED AFTER OPENING DAY OF KENTUCKY OAKS FUTURES POOL 2 – Hal and Patti Earnhardt’s champion filly Indian Blessing was the favorite in February’s opening pool of Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, and early bettors in the year’s second Oaks Future pool remain impressed with the unbeaten daughter of Indian Charlie.

The Bob Baffert-trained Indian Blessing was a strong 3-1 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager following the opening day of betting in the four-day wager on Thursday.  The mutuel field, which represents all 3-year-old fillies other than the 23 individual horses on the Pool 2 wagering roster, stood as the 9-2 second choice on Thursday evening.

Davona Dale (GII) winner Bsharpsonata, who is on a streak of four consecutive stakes victories, attracted solid support and was the third choice at 7-1, while Hollywood Starlet (GI) and Darley Alcibiades (GI) winner Country Star was next at 9-1.  Eight Belles, winner of a division of the Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park, was next at 11-1.

Wagering on Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will continue through Sunday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern).  Information and real time odds on the wager can be found on the official event Web site at www.kentuckyoaks.com.