Kentucky Oaks 134 News: Prado To Ride Pure Clan, Stewart Mulls Bid By Honest Pursuit, Borel to Ride A to the Croft

TOP STORIES:
PRADO GETS OAKS RIDE ABOARD PURE CLAN
STEWART MULLS OAKS BID BY HONEST PURSUIT
A TO THE CROFT SET FOR OAKS, GETS BOREL

A TO THE CROFT – Koolmen Racing Stable’s A to the Croft, runner-up in last year’s Grade I Spinaway at Saratoga and Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland, was scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Monday for a start in the Kentucky Oaks (GI).
“We’re going to run,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “She is going to breeze here Saturday and Calvin Borel the mount.”
Borel has not ridden A to the Croft, who has run third in two starts in 2008.

AWESOME CHIC – Aurora Springs Stable’s Awesome Chic galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break under Ariel Carrasquillo.
Trainer Rafael Ramos is expected to be in Louisville the latter part of the week from his Florida base. Awesome Chic is scheduled to work most likely on Friday with Robby Albarado slated to be aboard.
Albarado, who was aboard Awesome Chic for her six-furlong work in 1:16 on April 18, has the call for the Oaks.

BSHARPSONATA -- Cloverleaf Farm’s Bsharpsonata galloped two miles under Scott Miller before the renovation break.
Bsharpsonata has been at Churchill Downs since April 7, two days after she ran second in the Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.
“She is doing great here and seems to like this track better than the Polytrack at Keeneland and Gulfstream Park,” Miller said.
Eric Camacho, who will be aboard in the Oaks, is scheduled to be here Wednesday for Bsharpsonata’s five-eighths work.

GOLDEN DOC A – Ron McCauley’s Golden Doc A galloped a mile and a half under Stephen O’Callaghan after the renovation break.
Trainer Barry Abrams is expected to arrive in Louisville on Tuesday night and send Golden Doc A out for a half-mile work with Oaks rider Kent Desormeaux aboard on Wednesday.

HONEST PURSUIT – “We are thinking about it,” trainer Dallas Stewart said of a possible Kentucky Oaks bid by Overbrook Farm’s Honest Pursuit.
Overbrook won the 1990 Oaks with Seaside Attraction.
Honest Pursuit broke her maiden on her fifth try on April 4 at Keeneland, winning by 6 ½ lengths going the Oaks distance of 1 1/8 miles. Should Honest Pursuit go in the Oaks, she will be ridden by Garrett Gomez.
Honest Pursuit is a daughter of Storm Cat out of the Seattle Slew mare Honest Lady. Honest Pursuit is the fourth foal produced by Honest Lady, who closed her racing career by running second against the males in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs. Honest Lady is also a half-sister to 2003 Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker, who ran second as the favorite in the 2003 Kentucky Derby.

PURE CLAN – Two-time graded stakes winner Pure Clan, owned by IEAH Stable, Lewis Lakin and Pegasus Holding Group Stables, will have a new rider when she competes in the 134th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Friday, May 2.
Trainer Robert Holthus said Edgar Prado would replace Julien Leparoux in the irons aboard the daughter of Pure Prize, who was third behind Eight Belles in her most recent outing in the Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park. She won the $250,000-added Golden Rod (GII) and $150,000-added Pocahontas (GIII) under Leparoux to cap an unbeaten, four-race juvenile campaign in 2007, and was second to Eight Belles in her season debut in the Honeybee (GIII) at Oaklawn.
IEAH Stable purchased controlling interest in Pure Clan over the winter from Lakin and Holthus said the switch to Prado was the owners’ call.
“The owners have had good luck with him,” said Holthus. “It was their decision.”
Holthus said Pure Clan would work on Friday. Prado will be in the irons for that move, which is scheduled just after the break for track maintenance.
Pure Clan worked a half-mile on Saturday. She returned to the track on Monday and galloped a mile and a half under Steve Schmelzel before the renovation break.