Joyful Victory, who figures to be among the favorites for the May 6
Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) along with R Heat Lightning and Kathmanblu, worked five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 on her own over a sloppy
Churchill Downs strip Monday under
jockey Gabriel Saez.
Fractions for the work were :12 1/5, :24, :36, :48 3/5 and out six furlongs
in 1:16 2/5.
“It was a good work on this track,” trainer Larry Jones said. “She was just
loping along. Gabe thought she went slower.”
Jones had planned to work Joyful Victory in company with graded-stakes winner
Winslow Homer, who is nominated to the $300,000 Alysheba S. (Grade 3)
on Oaks Day.
“With the track the way it was, I decided not to (work them together),” Jones
said. “I wanted to make sure they didn’t pressure themselves into doing too
much. They will do something serious Sunday.”
Mike Smith, who has been aboard Joyful Victory for her two victories in 2011
— the Fantasy S. (Grade 2) and Honeybee S. (Grade 3) — will retain the mount for the
Oaks.
Working over the Polytrack at Keeneland on Monday was multiple stakes winner
Inglorious. Second in the Rachel Alexandra S. (Grade 3) two back and
fourth in the Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade 2) last time, the Canadian-bred miss traveled
five furlongs in 1:02 3/5.
In other Oaks news:
Trainer Benard Chatters opted to wait another day to work Holy Heavens. Winner of the Martha Washington S. earlier this year, she finished more
than eight lengths behind Joyful Victory in both the Fantasy and Honeybee in her
last two starts.
“We are just going to gallop today and hope it gets better and work
(Tuesday),” Chatters said prior to the filly’s morning exercise.
Chatters has lined up Kent Desormeaux to ride Holy Heavens in the Oaks and
Desormeaux is slated to be aboard for the work Tuesday. Desormeaux, seeking his
first victory in the Oaks, has never ridden Holy Heavens.
Also scheduled to work Tuesday are Fair Grounds Oaks heroine Daisy Devine,
who will got to the track at 6 a.m. (EDT) under James Graham, and Sunland Oaks
vixen Plum Pretty, who will head out at 8:30.