Kentucky Oaks 134 Update: March 31

KENTUCKY OAKS 134 TOP STORIES:

- Shes All Eltish Dominates Bonnie Miss
- Lethal Heat Proves Best in Santa Paula
- Leading Oaks Contenders to Clash Next Weekend

SOUTHEAST/SHES ALL ELTISH MUCH THE BEST IN BONNIE MISS – Denholtz Stables’ Shes All Eltish made her stakes debut a smashing success Saturday by dominating five rivals in posting a 6 ¾-length victory over Robbie’s Gal in the $150,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park.

A daughter of Eltish out of the Hesabull mare Shesabullwinkle, Shes All Eltish covered the mile and one-eighth on a track labeled as “fast” in 1:51.80 under jockey Eddie Castro. Trained by Martin Wolfson, Shes All Eltish improved her record to 7-3-3-1 for earnings of $156,280.

Robbie’s Gal finished three-quarters of a length ahead of favored Highest Class, who was followed in order by Backseat Rhythm, Halo Hollie and Overandabeauty. Robbie’s Gal and Overandabeauty are not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks.

Shes All Eltish closed at 97-1 in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. Briarwood Stable’s Highest Class closed at 33-1 in Pool 2 and Backseat Rhythm, owned by Paul Pompa Jr., closed at 32-1.

Shes All Eltish rated off the pace of Overandabeauty before sweeping past at the quarter pole and drew clear.  But whether the strong effort was enough to make Shes All Eltish a candidate for the 134th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) on May 2 at Churchill Downs remained very much in question after breakthrough victory.

“My whole concern was her moving too soon,” Wolfson said. “She really did it easy today when she opened up like that. She needs horses to run at. I don’t know what’s next. She’s nominated for the Kentucky Oaks, but I don’t want to go there. There’s too much commotion.”

WEST/LETHAL HEAT RALLIES FOR SANTA PAULA WIN – Barry Abrams and Madeline Auerbach’s Lethal Heat closed from off the pace to win Sunday’s $108,500 Santa Paula Stakes (GIII) at Santa Anita.

Trained by Abrams, Lethal Heat covered the 6 ½ furlongs on the all-weather surface in 1:14.91 under jockey Gerry Olguin to win by 1 ¾ lengths over P.S.U. Grad.

The only Kentucky Oaks nominee in the field, Michael Bello’s Lovely Isle, finished fifth as the 7-5 favorite.

Abrams does have a Kentucky Oaks candidate in Ron McCauley’s Golden Doc A, winner of the Las Virgenes (GI) on Feb. 9 and runner-up in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI) on March 8. Golden Doc A is scheduled to ship to Keeneland on April 7 for the $250,000 Stonerside Beaumont (GII) to be run April 10 at 7 furlongs and 184 yards.

BIG WEEKEND LOOMS FOR PROMINENT OAKS CONTENDERS – The top four betting choices from Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager that closed March 9 are expected to be in action this coming weekend on two fronts.

The $500,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) at a mile and a sixteenth at Keeneland on Saturday is expected to lure Stonerside Stable’s Country Star and Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell.

Country Star, who broke her maiden in last fall’s Darley Alcibiades (GI) over Keeneland’s Polytrack, was the 5-1 favorite in Pool 2 and will be making her 2008 debut. Proud Spell, who closed as the 6-1 second choice in Pool 2, won the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) on March 8 in her most recent start.
Also expected for the Ashland is Florida-based Bsharpsonata, a winner of four straight stakes races on turf and dirt.

On Sunday, the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (GII) at a mile and a sixteenth at Oaklawn Park is expected to provide the rematch between IEAH Stables, Lewis Lakin and Pegasus Holding Group Stables’ Pure Clan and Fox Hill Farms’ Eight Belles.

Pure Clan, who closed as the third choice at 7-1 in Pool 2, was dealt her first career defeat in five starts on March 16 when she fell 1 ¼ lengths short of catching Eight Belles in the mile and a sixteenth Honeybee (GIII). Eight Belles, who closed at 8-1 in Pool 2, has won her three most recent starts, the past two coming at Oaklawn Park.