Quartet of Oaks possibles work five-eighths

Last updated: 4/29/11 6:44 PM

Bouquet Booth is looking to sport the lilies following the Oaks
(Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs)

Grade 3 winner BOUQUET BOOTH (Flower Alley) worked five furlongs in 1:02 1/5
under jockey Robby Albarado Friday morning at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks
(G1) prep occurred after the renovation break over a track labeled fast.

Fractions for the move were :12 4/5, :25 3/5, :38 1/5 and :50 3/5 and
galloped out six furlongs in 1:16 3/5.

“Robby let her roll from the sixteenth pole home and we did not want to
overdo it six or seven days out,” trainer Steve Margolis said. “She had her
major work last week (five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 on April 21).”

Bouquet Booth enters the Oaks off a fourth-place finish in the Ashland S.
(G1) at Keeneland on April 9.

“I am a realist and I know it is a tough spot,” Margolis said. “I know she
might be the sixth or seventh choice, but she has proved herself with these type
horses and deserves a shot. She is training well and if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t
run.”

DELIGHTFUL MARY (Limehouse) worked five furlongs in company in 1:01 3/5 after
the renovation break under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, but Daily Racing Form
reported late Friday afternoon that she was being withdrawn from Oaks
consideration by trainer Mark Casse.

“I still don’t think she’s back to the filly we saw last fall,” Casse told
the trade daily. “Plus this is such a tough Oaks this year. We’ll send her back
to Canada to regroup.”

Working with Exclusive Love (Bernstein), Delightful Mary was clocked in
fractions of :25 3/5, :37 1/5, :49 1/5 and out six furlongs in 1:15 3/5.

Arienza may end up in the Eight Belles instead of the Oaks
(Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs)

Fantasy S. (G2) runner-up ARIENZA (Giant’s Causeway) worked five furlongs in
:59 2/5, a co-bullet shared with Kentucky Derby (G1) candidate Archarcharch
(Arch), but is presently leaning towards the Eight Belles S. (G3) on the Oaks
undercard.

With retired jockey Larry Melancon up, Arienza clicked off fractions of :11
4/5, :23 1/5 and :34 2/5.

“It was a good work,” trainer Dan Peitz said. “I got her last three-eighths
in :35 2/5 and maybe a tick faster on the final time than what the clockers got
her in.

“I am probably leaning toward the Eight Belles. I’ll see how she comes out of
the work and how everybody else is doing but if Larry (Jones with JOYFUL VICTORY
[Tapit]) and Todd (Pletcher with R HEAT LIGHTNING [Trippi]) are sitting on go, we
may wait.”

SUAVE VOIR FAIRE (Suave) worked five furlongs in :59 4/5 at the HighPointe
Training Center under exercise rider Frederick Carmouche. The move was the
fastest of six at the distance over a track rated fast.

“It was a good move. I got her last quarter in :23 4/5 and galloping out six
furlongs in 1:13,” trainer Speedy Smithwick said. “I thought the track was a
little heavy this morning. I thought it might be more wet-fast.”

Smithwick may take Suave Voir Faire out for light exercise Saturday and then
give her Sunday off depending on the weather, which has a forecast that calls
for rain on Sunday. Smithwick plans to bring Suave Voir Faire to Churchill Downs
most likely on Monday.

A distant third in the Golden Rod S. (G2) last fall, Suave Voir Fair occupied
the same position in the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) in her only other stakes
appearance.

In other Oaks news:

Ashland winner LILACS AND LACE (Flower Alley) had some light exercise under
Eliel DeJesus following the renovation break.

“She galloped a mile today because she’s scheduled to breeze tomorrow,” said
Reynaldo Abreu, assistant to trainer John Terranova, who’ll be on hand Saturday
to supervise the Oaks hopeful’s workout.

Summer Soiree has dominated in her past two races
(Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs)

Lilacs and Lace has run all but one of her eight races on turf or synthetic
surfaces. She most recently captured the Ashland over Keeneland’s Polytrack
surface. Lilacs and Lace, who hasn’t raced on a dirt track since finishing
seventh in her debut, has impressed Abreu with her action while galloping over
Churchill’s surface.

“She’s been handling the track as good as you could want,” Abreu said.

Other Oaks candidates scheduled to work Saturday morning at Churchill are
pre-race favorite R. Heat Lightning, last-out winner of the Gulfstream Oaks
(G2), and Grade 2 vixen KATHMANBLU (Bluegrass Cat), most recently third in the
Ashland.

Joyful Victory is scheduled to post her final move going five
furlongs under Gabriel Saez on Sunday. HER SMILE (Include), a recent
addition to Pletcher’s barn, will work Saturday or Sunday, according to
assistant trainer Mike McCarthy, while HOLY HEAVENS (Holy Bull) could
show up on the worktab Sunday or Monday.

SUMMER SOIREE (War Front) could also work Sunday, though trainer
Graham Motion will likely miss the work. He will be at Fair Hill in
Maryland overseeing the breeze of Derby hopeful Toby’s Corner (Bellamy
Road).

“I’ve watched her work the last two weekends,” Motion said. “I’ve seen
enough. She’s been very impressive in the morning. I don’t need to see anymore.”