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Balance galloped at Churchill on Tuesday
(Alex Evers/Horsephotos.com) |
Multiple Grade 1 winner BALANCE (Thunder Gulch) headlines a full field of 14
three-year-old fillies in Friday’s 132nd running of the $500,000
Kentucky Oaks
(G1). An easy winner in Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and Las Virgenes S. (G1), the bay
lass suffered her first loss this year when third in the Ashland S. (G1) last
out at Keeneland. Trainer David Hofmans attributed that setback to the track and
expects a much improved showing at Churchill Downs. Balance has been installed
as the strong 2-1 favorite on the morning line and will break from post 4
with jockey Victor Espinoza.
Ashland winner BUSHFIRE (Louis Quatorze) and Davona Dale S. (G2) queen WAIT A
WHILE (Maria’s Mon) are the co-second choices at 5-1. Bushfire will enter off
two straight stakes wins, taking the Florida Oaks prior to her 6 1/2-length romp
in the Ashland. Four-for-six overall, the Eddie Kenneally charge is expected to
show speed with jockey Cornelio Velasquez from post 10. The Todd Pletcher-trained
Wait a While finished second in the Ashland and third to Teammate (A.P. Indy) in
the Bonnie Miss S. (G2) two starts back. The gray opened her 2006 campaign with
a 14-length win in the nine-furlong Davona Dale and captured the Miss Grillo S.
last fall. She’ll get a new rider in Garrett Gomez and will start from post 8.
Other contenders include Grade 1 winner DIPLOMAT LADY (Forestry), a 2
1/4-length victress in the Beaumont S. (G2) most recently; Grade 2 winner WONDER
LADY ANNE L (Real Quiet); ERMINE (Exchange Rate), who enters off a sharp
three-length tally in the Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park; and Santa Anita Oaks
runner-up QUIET KIM (Real Quiet).
The complete field for the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks, in post position order
with jockeys, is MISS NORMAN (Artax), Pablo Morales, 20-1; Diplomat Lady, Alex
Solis, 10-1; Quiet Kim, Kent Desormeaux, 12-1; Balance; RED CHERRIES SPIN (With
Approval), Corey Nakatani, 50-1; EX CAELIS (Fusaichi Pegasus), Julien Leparoux,
20-1; Wonder Lady Anne L, Edgar Prado, 8-1; Wait a While; ITTY BITTY PRETTY (El
Corredor), Pat Valenzuela, 12-1; Bushfire; TOP NOTCH LADY (Sultry Song), Patrick
Husbands, 20-1; Ermine, Robby Albarado, 12-1; LAST ROMANCE (Wild Rush), Rafael
Bejarano, 15-1; and LEMONS FOREVER (Lemon Drop Kid), Mark Guidry, 20-1.
All starters will carry 121 pounds.
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