Alysheba, La Troienne highlight Oaks undercard

A modest pace gave Mission Impazible the advantage in the New Orleans Handicap (Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) Friday's $300,000 Alysheba S. (G3) at Churchill Downs may or may not fill a leadership vacuum that exists in the older male division, but should bring into sharper focus the leading contenders for Churchill's premier race for the older horse set, the June 18 Stephen Foster H. (G1). The 1 1/16-mile Alysheba is one of five stakes on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard, and the co-richest along with the $300,000 La Troienne S. (G2) for older fillies and mares at the same distance. MISSION IMPAZIBLE (Unbridled's Song) will meet GIANT OAK (Giant's Causeway) for a second time and DEMARCATION (Gulch) for a third time this season in the Alysheba. Mission Impazible returned in January from a layoff of more than eight months and finished second to subsequent Grade 3 winner Caixa Eletronica (Arromanches) in a Gulfstream allowance/optional claimer, then was nipped by Demarcation's head in the Mineshaft H. (G3) at Fair Grounds the following month. Returning to the New Orleans course for the March 26 New Orleans H. (G2), Mission Impazible was involved in a much slower pace than was the case in the Mineshaft, and held off a late bid by Giant Oak, who finished third, and Demarcation, who ran seventh.

Giant Oak, the 3-2 favorite for the New Orleans off back-to-back scores in

the Clark H. (G1) at Churchill and the Donn H. (G1) at Gulfstream, will need a

legitimate pace to get revenge in this shorter contest. Demarcation is another

who tends to make one bold move from behind, though he did show more tactical

foot prior to crossing the wire fourth in the Clark in November.

REGAL RANSOM (Distorted Humor), whose last stakes win occurred in the 2009

Super Derby (G2), has finished up the track in two prior appearances under the

Twin Spires, but tuned up for this with a solid runner-up finish to Capt.

Candyman Can (Candy Ride [Arg]) in the Sir Shackleton H. at Gulfstream over 6

1/2 furlongs. Another stretching out -- and for the first time around two turns,

is last year's Phoenix S. (G3) winner WISE DAN (Wiseman's Ferry), an allowance

scorer at one mile during Churchill's most recent fall meet. Wise Dan was a dull

fourth as the even-money favorite in last month's Commonwealth S. (G2) at

Keeneland.

Invading from California are FIRST DUDE (Stephen Got Even) and CARACORTADO

(Cat Dreams). First Dude, who placed in several Grade 1 events last season

including the Preakness S. (G1) and Belmont S. (G1), recently snapped a lengthy

losing skid in an entry-level allowance at Santa Anita. Caracortado has raced

primarily on turf over the past six months, but has won or placed in two of

three career starts on dirt, the most recent attempt being a third in the Malibu

S. (G1) in December. Another with California ties, AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again),

has gone unplaced in four of his last five outings since taking the Hollywood

Gold Cup (G1) last July, but could improve on his recent sixth in the Charles

Town Classic (G3) while shedding blinkers.

The remainder of the Alysheba field includes New York-bred ace ICABAD CRANE

(Jump Start); EQUESTRIO (Elusive Quality), who notably defeated possible

Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Dialed In (Mineshaft) in a Gulfstream allowance in

early March; and JARDIM (Brz) (Ski Champ), who handed Demarcation a severe loss

in the Schaefer Mile at Hoosier Park last fall.

Unrivaled Belle bested Blind Luck when they last met under the Twin Spires in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com) The La Troienne arguably has a bit more star power than the Alysheba. When UNRIVALED BELLE (Unbridled's Song) and BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision) last met over the Churchill strip, they ran one-two in that order in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) in November. However, both have endured early setbacks this season in the race to become the nation's best older female. Unrivaled Belle was pummeled in the April 2 Rampart S. (G3) at Gulfstream by a margin of 10 1/4 lengths, finishing third to Awesome Maria (Maria's Mon). Unrivaled Belle won the Rampart last season before pulling an upset over Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne, and could be sharper in her second start back from her winter break. Blind Luck, the nation's top three-year-old filly in 2010, is in the midst of a long string of bridesmaid finishes. Winless since the Alabama S. (G1) in August, the Jerry Hollendorfer charge was subsequently runner-up in the Cotillion S. (G2) and Breeders' Cup, and this season has continued her silver medalist ways in the El Encino S. (G2), La Canada S. (G2) and Azeri S. (G3). Blind Luck forfeited another meeting with rival Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) in last month's Apple Blossom H. (G1) in order to concentrate her energies on the La Troienne.

The pace of the La Troienne should be provided by the stakes-winning ABSINTHE

MINDED (Quiet American), a game third in the Apple Blossom last time, and QUIET

GIANT (Giant's Causeway), a multiple stakes winner during Aqueduct's inner-track

meet. Others of note include Grade 1-placed stakes winner ALL DUE RESPECT (Value

Plus), Grade 3 veteran SEEKING THE TITLE (Seeking the Gold), and last-out New

Orleans Ladies S. winner RAVI'S SONG (Unbridled's Song).