Callback, Sunset Glow & Undrafted headline Oaks undercard stakes

Callback, Sunset Glow & Undrafted headline Oaks undercard
stakes

Callback will add blinkers and cut back in distance for the Eight Belles (Benoit Photo) After being under consideration for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Callback (Street Sense) was redirected to the $200,000 Eight Belles (G2), a seven-furlong test for sophomore fillies on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. The Grade 1 winner tops a nice field of 12 and will receive a rider switch to Victor Espinoza. Callback is one of two fillies for Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert along with last-out Santa Paula heroine Enchanting Lady (Tale of the Cat). Winner of the Las Virgenes (G1) two back, Callback was most recently disqualified from a first-place finish in the March 22 Sunland Oaks and will add first-time blinkers on the cut back in trip. Enchanting Lady broke her maiden in the Landaluce last June. She captured the 6 1/2-furlong Santa Paula on April 5 in her second start back from an eight-month layoff and will retain the services of Martin Garcia, who had also been riding Callback.

Ekati’s Phaeton (Tale of Ekati) must be considered dangerous in her first
outing for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The dark bay registered a field-best 104
BRIS Speed rating when capturing the Davona Dale (G2) two starts back, defeating
several Kentucky Oaks contestants in the process, but found the two-turn
distance too taxing in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) last time. John Velazquez
picks up the mount on the confirmed front-runner.

Other contenders include Promise Me Silver (Silver City) and Taylor S
(Medaglia d’Oro), who exits sprint stakes victories at Oaklawn Park and
Gulfstream Park, respectively; and impressive allowance scorer Lavender Chrissie
(Scat Daddy), who will be making her stakes bow for Dale Romans.

One race prior to the Eight Belles, Undrafted (Purim) will look to overcome
the far outside post against 11 rivals in the $150,000
Twin
Spires Turf Sprint (G3). Runner-up in the five-furlong affair last year, the
Wesley Ward-trained gelding followed with an authoritative win in the Jaipur
(G3) at Belmont Park before traveling overseas to record a very respectable
fourth in the July Cup (Eng-G1) at Newmarket. Undrafted just missed when making
his 2014 finale in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1), finishing a half-length
back in third, and is eligible to improve off a fast-finishing fourth in his
seasonal opener, the April 4 Shakertown (G3) at Keeneland.

His main opponents include Shakertown winner Something Extra (Indian
Charlie); the classy mare Good Deed (Broken Vow); Australian import Power Alert
(Alert), who finished fourth as the Shakertown favorite; and 10-time stakes
victor Heitai (Fusaichi Pegasus).

The stakes action begins Friday with the $150,000
Edgewood
(G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf event for three-year-old fillies. Grade 1 queen and
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) runner-up Sunset Glow (Exchange Rate)
will be the one to catch in the nine-horse field. The Ward trainee is exiting a
third to the superb Lady Eli (Divine Park) in the April 12 Appalachian (G3) at
Keeneland and Joel Rosario will be up.

Quality Rocks (Rock Hard Ten) also figures to receive support following a
nice tally in the Florida Oaks (G3) and French stakes winner My Year Is a Day
(King’s Best) could be live in her first U.S. appearance for new trainer Graham
Motion.

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