Trainer Todd Pletcher already has one of the favorites for the May 6 Grade 1
Kentucky Oaks in R Heat Lightning, but on Thursday will receive yet another
starter in the form of Her Smile. A
recent purchase by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, the dark bay miss is scheduled to
arrive at Churchill Downs on Thursday to begin her final preparations for the
Oaks.
Her Smile, winner of last year’s Donna Freyer at Parx Racing, opened her
sophomore season with a fourth-place run in the grassy Florida Oaks going 1 1/16
miles. She followed with a third in the mile-and-40-yard Suncoast on Tampa Bay
Downs’ main track, then shortened up to a mile for the Grade 3 Comely last out
at Aqueduct, where she finished second. The filly has $30,000 in graded earnings
from that latter race.
New stablemate R Heat
Lightning jogged after the renovation break under exercise rider Hector
Ramos on Wednesday as she continues readying for the first Friday in May. A
dominant winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks and Grade 2 Davona Dale in her
last pair, the Grade 1 vixen is scheduled to have her final work for the Oaks on Saturday. John Velazquez
has the call for the race.
Pletcher has won the Oaks twice with Ashado (2004) and Rags to
Riches (2007), and could join a very short list of trainers who have saddled an
Oaks and Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner in the same year. The Eclipse
Award-winning conditioner will send out Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty the following
day in the Run for the Roses.
Only two trainers have won the
Oaks and Derby in the same year in the history of the races that date back to
1875. H.J. “Dick” Thompson won the 1933 Oaks with Barn Swallow and
the 1933 Derby with Brokers Tip. Ben Jones accomplished the
feat twice: in 1949 with Wistful and Ponder, and in 1952 with
Real Delight and Hill Gail.
Bob Baffert and Graham
Motion are the only trainers other than Pletcher to have a shot at the double
this year.
Baffert, who won the Oaks in 1999 with Silverbulletday, will
saddle Plum Pretty in the Oaks and Midnight Interlude in the
Derby. Plum Pretty walked under the shedrow on the morning after her Tuesday
seven-furlong workout, when she covered the distance over a
good track under jockey Martin Garcia in 1:28 2/5. Assistant trainer Jim Barnes
said Plum Pretty was well on the morning after the move.
Motion, seeking his initial victory in either race, has Animal Kingdom and
Toby’s Corner for the Derby, and Summer Soiree for the Oaks. Barry Irwin, chief executive officer of
Summer Soiree’s owner Team Valor
International, notified Churchill Downs officials that the filly would train at Keeneland on Thursday morning and then van to Churchill Downs
that afternoon. She is scheduled to breeze a
half-mile on Saturday or Sunday, according to Irwin.
In others Oaks news:
St. John’s River, a fast-closing
second in her most recent start in the March 26 Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks,
galloped 1 7/8 miles at Churchill Downs after the renovation break under Robert
Wright. Trained by Andy Leggio, St.
John’s River is scheduled to work Thursday at 8:30 a.m. (EDT) with jockey Rosie
Napravnik up.
Also galloping after the renovation break were Bouquet Booth and
Street Storm. Jose
Castanon had the reins on Bouquet Booth while Williams Cano was aboard Street Storm.
“I am going to work Street Storm five-eighths rain or shine tomorrow with
Robby (Albarado),” trainer Steve Margolis said. “There is
probably no way they will work on the turf tomorrow.”
Margolis said an Oaks run by Street Storm has not been officially ruled out.
“The partners (in Right Time
Racing) are still deciding in case something happens,” Margolis said. “More than
likely she will run in the Edgewood (on
May 6).”
Bouquet Booth is scheduled to work
five furlongs on Friday with Albarado up.
Suave Voir Faire stayed out of the weather on Wednesday, galloping
on the indoor Polytrack arena at the Highpointe Training Center under exercise
rider Frederick Carmouche.
“The arena is right next to our barn and she didn’t even have to get wet,”
trainer Speedy Smithwick said. Smithwick plans to work Suave Voir Faire
at Highpointe on Friday and added that Miguel Mena
would have the mount on Suave Voir Faire in the Oaks.
“He’s a good young jock and he has
done well for me in the past,” Smithwick said.
Mena never has ridden Suave Voir
Faire, who comes into the Oaks off a third-place finish in the Grade 3
Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park.
Scheduled to work Friday at Churchill are Arienza, Delightful Mary and
possibly Lilacs and Lace, who has a Friday-Saturday window depending on the
weather.
Kathmanblu will take to the track Saturday, while Joyful Victory is set to
have her final work for the Oaks on Sunday.
Daisy Devine and Holy Heavens, who worked five furlongs on Tuesday in :59 3/5
and 1:03 3/5, respectively, came out of their moves in good order and walked the
shedrow on Wednesday. They are scheduled to hit the track on Thursday, according
their connections.