Peter Brant's graded stakes-placed Shidabhuti, who was last seen finishing third in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 8 for conditioner Chad Brown, had her first work back on Saturday over the Belmont Park main track, covering a half-mile in :49.92 in company with stakes winner Occult.
With Shidabhuti on the outside, the pair completed their exercise just after 6 a.m. (ET) under dense clouds with a handful of other horses on-track.
Shidabhuti, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Practical Joke, earned 50 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs for her victory in the Busher Invitational victory on March 4 over a muddy and sealed main track. She earned an additional 30 points when third in the Gazelle, giving her enough total points to be guaranteed a place in the Oaks starting gate.
Despite her ensured eligibility, Brown said he is still finalizing a decision on the filly's Oaks status.
“The work went fine and I will speak to Mr. Brant Sunday about it, see how she comes out of the work, and make a decision from there,” said Brown following the breeze on Saturday.
The Kentucky Oaks will feature a maximum field of 14, and several stars are still on the outside looking in, including reigning champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Wonder Wheel, who would need one defection to make it into the starting gate.
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