Final four major Oaks preps on tap

Condo Commando looks much the best in the Gazelle (Chelsea Durand/Adam Coglianese Photography)

The final four major preps for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) take place
on Saturday throughout the United States, and each one offers up points on a
100-40-20-10 scale toward a starting berth in the “Run for the Lilies” at
Churchill Downs on May 1. One more will follow, the $250,000 Beaumont S. (G2) on
April 12 at Keeneland, but it’s only worth 10-4-2-1.

Aqueduct’s $300,000
Gazelle
S. (G2) will kick off the Oaks action Saturday when sending seven sophomore
fillies 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful) easily
tops the group off a pair of romping wins in the Demoiselle S. (G2) and Busher
S. in her past two. The Demoiselle closed out the dark bay filly’s juvenile
season over track and distance, while the Busher took place on the inner dirt at
1 1/16 miles. It was a nice 4 3/4-length opening volley from the Rudy Rodriguez
trainee, who gets Joel Rosario, aboard for the Demoiselle, back in the saddle.

Noble and Beauty (Noble Causeway) will do her best to challenge Condo
Commando while stretching out for the first time. Previously the Rick Violette
Jr. pupil was an eight-length scorer in the six-furlong Cicada S. on March 15,
which followed a close nose second in the Ruthless S. going the same distance.
Noble and Beauty took her maiden debut on the main track last November while
going 6 1/2 furlongs, and retains regular rider Jose Ortiz for this test.

Sarah Sis already defeated some of her Fantasy foes in the Honeybee (Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography)

About an hour following the Gazelle, another field of seven will go 1 1/16
miles at Keeneland in the $500,000

Ashland S. (G1). Around 40 minutes later, the largest group of Oaks hopefuls
will take to Oaklawn Park’s main track in the $400,000
Fantasy
S. (G3).

That latter 8 1/2-furlong affair drew 11 runners, including six from the Oaks
leaderboard. Sarah Sis (Sharp Humor) is one of those six after taking the
Honeybee S. (G3) over track and distance on March 7. That followed a nice head
second to sidelined champion and early Oaks favorite Take Charge Brandi (Giant’s
Causeway) in the Martha Washington S. on January 31 and a neck second 16 days
earlier in the Dixie Belle S. Julio Felix was aboard Sarah for each of those
runs and will holds the reins on the Ingrid Mason charge Saturday.

Feathered (Indian Charlie) currently has seven points and sits in 27th on the
Oaks leaderboard, so the Todd Pletcher pupil really needs to win the Fantasy for
a guaranteed spot in the Oaks starting gate. She’ll also have to run better than
her fourth-placing against allowance/optional claimers on March 6 in her
sophomore debut. Ricardo Santana Jr. will be in the saddle for the first time.

Stellar Wind is looking for her third straight victory on Saturday in the Santa Anita Oaks (Benoit Photos)

The $400,000
Santa Anita
Oaks (G1) completes the preps on Saturday and drew a field of eight to go 1
1/16 miles. Stellar Wind (Curlin), Light the City (Street Sense) and Glory
(Tapit) were the respective top three in the February 28 Santa Ysabel S. (G3)
and line back up here.

Stellar Wind boasts 50 points and position eight on the Oaks leaderboard,
while Light the City is three back in 11th with 24 points. Neither they nor
Glory has started since the Santa Ysabel, though they have been working up a
storm for this rematch.

Singing Kitty (Ministers Wild Cat), Curlin’s Fox (Curlin) and She’s a Big
Winner (Bellamy Road) are something of an enigma in the race in that they were
one-two-three, respectively, in the grassy China Doll S. last out on March 7.
Singing Kitty also captured the California Cup Oaks on the turf, She’s a Big
Winner scored in the Sweet Life S. on Santa Anita’s sod and Curlin’s Fox will be
making her main track debut in the Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday.