Brereton Jones’ homebred Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner PROUD SPELL (Proud
Citizen) came out of the race in fine order and will head to Fair Hill in
Maryland on Monday, according to trainer Larry Jones. The conditioner’s
celebration was marred when his other filly, EIGHT BELLES (Unbridled’s Song),
broke down in the gallop out after running second in the Kentucky Derby
(G1). Jones had earlier talked about possibly running the two against each
other.
“If all things go well, there’s a chance that we’ll have one or both pointing
toward the (historic) New York filly triple crown,” Jones said early
Saturday. “We’ll see
how they do, but the (June 7) Acorn ([G1] at Belmont Park) would be the logical
next step.”
The New York filly triple crown, called the Triple Tiara, was comprised of
the Acorn, Mother Goose S. (G1) and Coaching Club of America Oaks (G1) prior to
2003. In that year, however, the series was changed, excluding the Acorn and
adding the Alabama S. (G1) at Saratoga.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he was pleased with the performance of LITTLE
BELLE (A.P. Indy) moments after Godolphin’s homebred finished second to Proud
Spell in the Kentucky Oaks.
“She handled (the sloppy track) very well,” McLaughlin said. “She’s handled
everything we’ve thrown at her, at Aqueduct (and) she’s won her last three. She
tries hard every time as she did today. There was just one better. We’re happy;
she ran well.”
On Saturday morning, Rajeev Lakshmanan, McLaughlin’s barn foreman, reported
that Little Belle was in fine condition. The filly had spent the previous month
training over the Polytrack at Keeneland, where she won the Ashland S. (G1), and
had proven her ability to handle a sloppy track when she broke her maiden in
February at Aqueduct.
Little Belle is scheduled to return to Belmont Park and prepare for her next
race.
Trainer Bob Holthus reported Saturday morning that PURE CLAN (Pure Prize)
came out of her third-place finish in the Oaks in “great shape.” The lass closed
with a furious rush to get up for third, finishing 5 3/4 lengths behind Proud
Spell.
“I can’t figure out why she can’t get going a little quicker,” Holthus said.
“I didn’t even think she was going to hit the board, but at the eighth pole, she
really came running.”
Pure Clan has made three starts this year and is in line for a break.
“We are going to point for the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park
(on July 19),” Holthus said. “It’s a mile and a quarter on a bigger track. We
will train her lightly for two or three weeks and then crank her back up.”
GOLDEN DOC A (Unusual Heat) was doing good Saturday morning after her
fourth-place finish on Friday, according to assistant trainer Geoff Dapp.
“I took (trainer) Barry (Abrams) and his crew out to the airport (for a plane
back to California) at quarter to six this morning,” Dapp noted. “The filly ate
up last night and is doing great this morning. We’re really proud of her. She
didn’t have the best of trips out there yesterday with the track being the way
it was, but she ran great and was less than a length from finishing second
behind the winner.”
Dapp said Abrams told him to hang loose with the horse for a few days and
then they’d finalize plans for the chestnut.
BSHARPSONATA (Pulpit) left Churchill Downs early Saturday morning to return
to her home base in Maryland at Laurel Park. Trained by Tim Salzman,
Bsharpsonata finished fifth in Friday’s Oaks.
“She looked good this morning and was hollering for her feed,” Salzman said.
“We are going to sit back and look for a couple of spots.”
COUNTRY STAR (Empire Maker) was none the worse for wear following her
sixth-place finish, it was reported out of the Bobby Frankel barn Saturday
morning. The Hall of Fame conditioner’s right-hand man, Ruben Loza, said the
dark bay filly ate up Friday night and was doing fine, but he didn’t know what’s
next for the three-year-old miss.
Maiden winner A TO THE CROFT (Menifee) will point for an allowance race at
Churchill Downs after her seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks “to get her
confidence back,” said Billy Wright, barn foreman for trainer Ken McPeek on
Saturday morning. Wright added the filly came out of the race in great shape
“and there’s not a nick on her.”
RASIERRA (Kafwain) came out of her eighth-place Kentucky Oaks finish in good
order, according to Cody Autrey, who handled the bulk of the filly’s Churchill
Downs training for conditioner Ray Tracy Jr.
“She hit herself a little in the race, but there are no major issues,” Autrey
said. “I imagine she will stay here four of five days and then they will make a
decision on where she will go next.”
Trainer Rafael Ramos reported that AWESOME CHIC (Awesome Again), ninth of 10
in the Oaks, will rest for about 10 days at a farm in Kentucky before shipping
up to his base at Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts. Jose Acero of owner Aurora
Springs is choosing which farm.
“She came out of the race good,” Ramos said Saturday morning. “She bled a
little (post-race scope) and the jockey (Robby Albarado) said she didn’t like
the sloppy track.”
ABSOLUTELY CINDY (Arch) came out of her 10th and last-place Oaks finish in
good order, but will stick to the grass in the future, according to
owner/trainer/breeder Keith Kinmon.
“I’m pretty far down,” a disappointed Kinmon admitted. “But she came back
good and will go back to Turfway (Park) in the morning. She has had two
opportunities on the dirt now and run her two worst races, so she is going to
the grass and staying there.”
Kinmon said Absolutely Cindy would get a little break and then be pointed for
a possible run in the June 14 Regret S. (G3) going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs.
ELUSIVE LADY (Van Nistelrooy), scratched by trainer John Kimmel from the Oaks
Friday afternoon when the racetrack came up sloppy, walked the shedrow Saturday
morning and is scheduled to leave Churchill Downs for Keeneland, where she will
work over the Polytrack on Sunday. Kimmel said she could show up next in either
the May 16 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) at Pimlico or the May 18 Selene S. (Can-G3)
at Woodbine.