Valdale Top Three Return in Bourbonette Oaks

The top-three finishers from the February 23 Valdale S. will face off yet again on Saturday when breaking from the gate of Turfway Park's $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks S. (G3). VALENTINE FEVER (Stormin Fever) chased pacesetter LOVE BUZZ (Silver Charm) throughout that mile test before just getting her nose down on the line to take the win. Those two had previously met up in the Cincinnati Trophy S., with Valentine Fever earning an eight-length score on that day while Love Buzz was a distant third. The Dale Romans-trained Love Buzz will be hoping the third time is the charm in Saturday's Bourbonette as she goes for her first stakes score. LOVERS SPAT (Yankee Gentleman), third in the Valdale, made her stakes debut in that event and could use that experience here for a better showing.

The Valdale top three will have to take on three rivals in the eight-furlong Bourbonette who are more experienced against graded company. A TO THE CROFT (Menifee) captured her initial start on Churchill Downs' dirt, and proceeded to run second in her next two, the Adirondack S. (G2) and Spinaway S. (G1) at Saratoga. She moved to Keeneland's Polytrack, and once again was second, this time in the Alcibiades S. (G1). Like so many on Breeders' Cup Day, the chestnut lass just didn't seem to take to the sloppy, sealed, Monmouth track, and ran ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She loses Kent Desormeaux to Love Buzz, but picks up Robby Albarado, who was aboard for her only win.

CLEARLY FOXY (Volponi) broke her maiden in her debut on the turf before adding the grassy Natalma S. (Can-G3) to her line next out. She made her dirt debut and held well enough to take down sixth in the sloppy Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Mark Casse trainee handled Woodbine's version of the Polytrack well enough in her works, and could make a seamless transition to this one off the five-month break. MORAKAMI (Fusaichi Pegasus) won't have to worry about a layoff, with two three-year-old starts to her credit so far. She was fourth in the Forward Gal S. (G2) most recently, but also ran fifth in the Alcibiades on the Polytrack.

Love Buzz and Desormeaux will lead the post parade under a 115-pound impost. Next in line will be Lovers Spat, John McKee, 117; Valentine Fever, Julien Leparoux, 121; MAREN'S MEADOW (Meadowlake), Gabriel Saez, 115; Clearly Foxy, Patrick Husbands, 121; Morakami, Edgar Prado, 115; A to the Croft, 115; and DOWNTOWN DRIFTER (Devil His Due), Miguel Mena, 115.