Kentucky Oaks 134 Update: April 7

TOP STORIES:

- Little Belle Steps Up Big in Ashland
- Eight Belles Runs Win Streak to Four in Fantasy
- Oaks Nominees Falter in Providencia

MIDWEST/LITTLE BELLE PULLS SHOCKER IN ASHLAND – Darley Stable’s Little Belle, idle since winning the Busher Stakes on Feb. 24 at Aqueduct, fought back to reclaim the lead she lost to Cloverleaf Farm’s Bsharpsonata in the upper stretch to post a neck victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Ashland Stakes (Grade I) at Keeneland.

Ridden by Rajiv Maragh, Little Belle covered the mile and a sixteenth over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface in 1:43.69 to hike her record to 3-1-1 in six races and boost her earnings to $406,060.

A daughter of A.P. Indy out of the Mr. Prospector mare Dubai Belle, Little Belle is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.

No firm plans have been made for Little Belle’s next start, but Bsharpsonata was headed for Churchill Downs two days after her winning streak was snapped at four.

Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell will remain at Keeneland to do the bulk of her training for the Kentucky Oaks, according to trainer Larry Jones. One of the favorites in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, Proud Spell finished third in the Ashland, 2½ lengths in back of Bsharpsonata as the 9-5 second choice.

The Ashland favorite, Stonerside Stable’s Country Star, finished fifth as the even-money choice. The Ashland was Country Star’s 2008 debut and trainer Bobby Frankel said Sunday he would recommend to owners Bob and Janice McNair that she be pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks.

“She came back fine; we scoped her and everything looked good,” Frankel said. “I don’t know; she didn’t put any effort in yesterday’s race. I think I probably trained her too much.”

ARIEGE, GOLDEN DOC A SQUARE OFF AGAIN IN STONERSIDE BEAUMONT – IEAH Stables, Pegasus Holding Group Stables and Andy J. Smith’s Ariege and Ron McCauley’s Golden Doc A, the 1-2 finishers in last month’s Santa Anita Oaks (GI), headline a field of 10 3-year-old fillies entered for Thursday’s $250,000 Stonerside Beaumont Stakes (GII) to be run at seven furlongs, 184 feet at Keeneland.

Golden Doc A is a Grade I winner in her own right, having taken the Las Virgenes in February at Santa Anita.

Other graded stakes winners in the field are Charles Laloggia’s Officer Cherrie, who makes her 2008 debut after closing 2007 with a score in the Mazarine Breeders’ Cup (GIII) at Woodbine; Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s Passion, winner of the La Habra (GIII) in February at Santa Anita; and Budget Stable and Team Valor International’s Tasha’s Miracle, winner of last summer’s Sorrento (GIII) at Del Mar.

SOUTH/EIGHT BELLES RALLIES FOR FANTASY WIN – Fox Hill Farms’ Eight Belles, the 1-2 favorite in a field of four, overcame hopping the start and a three-wide trip on the far turn to run down Savorthetime Stables’ Alina in deep stretch to win the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (GII) by a three-quarters of a length on Sunday at Oaklawn Park.

IEAH Stables, Lewis Lakin and Pegasus Holding Group Stables’ Pure Clan was another half-length back in third, while Anita Cauley’s French Kiss completed the field another 11 lengths back.

Alina, who is not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, set early fractions unopposed in :24.36, :48.12 and 1:12.46 with Pure Clan in closest pursuit. Eight Belles made a three-wide under jockey Ramon Dominguez on the far turn and remained in the clear to eventually wear down Alina.  She completed the mile and a sixteenth on a fast track in 1:43.06

Trained by Larry Jones, Eight Belles is a daughter of Unbridled’s Song out of the Dixieland Band mare Away. The victory improved her record to 5-2-1 in nine races with earnings of $308,650.

“Our plans right now are to go to the Kentucky Oaks, but the Derby is not out of the question,” said Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farms. “If we feel she has a good chance in the Derby, we’ll go to the Derby. We have four weeks, and a lot can happen in four weeks.”

Eight Belles was scheduled to ship to Keeneland on Tuesday.

WEST/MISSIT HITS MARK IN PROVIDENCIA – Three Chimneys Farm’s Missit, who is not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, rallied from just off the pace to nip Sweeter Still by a nose in Sunday’s $150,000 Providencia Stakes (GII) at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Victory Espinoza and trained by Ben Cecil, Missit covered the mile on firm turf in 1:34.91.

Oaks nominees in the Providencia, Mary Anne Denes and Mary Ellen Woelfel’s Gorgeous Goose and David and Holly Wilson’s Briecat, finished fourth and seventh respectively.