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Champion Vequist Tops 106 Early Nominees To Kentucky Oaks

Champion 2-year-old filly Vequist, winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade 1), tops the roster of 106 early nominations to the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), North America's premier race for 3-year-old fillies that will be staged at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on Friday, April 30.

Owned in partnership by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swillcan Stable and trained by Butch Reid Jr., Vequist was a dominant two-length winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is based at Palm Meadows in South Florida and is entered in Saturday's $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Other top contenders that were nominated to the Longines Kentucky Oaks include Stonestreet Stables' $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) winner Clairiere and OXO Equine's runner-up Travel Column; Harold Lerner, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' $350,000 Alcibiades (G1) winner Simply Ravishing; and Shadwell Stable's undefeated Malathaat.

Each of the 106 fillies nominated to the Oaks were made eligible by a $200 payment that was due Feb. 13. A complete list of nominations will be available at https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nominations/.

Trainer Todd Pletcher led all conditioners with nine fillies nominated to the Oaks followed by Kenny McPeek who had eight.

Fillies not nominated to the Kentucky Oaks can be made eligible through a $1,500 late fee due April 10 or a $25,000 supplemental nomination due at the time of entry. The Oaks field is limited to 14 starters and up to four fillies can be designated as “also-eligible” to start. Eligibility to compete is determined by points amassed during the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” point series.

Like the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the Longines Kentucky Oaks has been run each year without interruption since 1875. The lucrative race is the centerpiece of a spectacular day of racing and entertainment at Churchill Downs that celebrates fashion, food, celebrity and fun with a focus on women's health issues and outreach.

Klaravich Stables' millionaire Digital Age (IRE) is nominated to attempt a repeat bid in this year's $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (Grade 1) on Saturday, May 1 at Churchill Downs.

The Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, annually attracts some of the nation's top turf horses. This year's race has 75 horses that were nominated. Previous winners include 2019 Horse of the Year and Champion Turf Male Bricks and Mortar; two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan; and Eclipse Award winners Manila, English Channel, Sky Classic and Paradise Creek. Einstein (BRZ) a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf, won back-to-back renewals in 2008-09.

Digital Age is one of 17 horses from trainer Chad Brown's stable nominated to the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic.

Another accomplished turf specialist nominated to this year's race is Robert and Lawana Low's $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) winner Colonel Liam. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Colonal Liam joined six other stablemates on the nomination list.

In total, 13 Grade 1 winners were nominated to this year's Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic. The full list of nominations are available at https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nominations/.

The winner of the March 20 Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2) at Fair Grounds will be granted an automatic berth to the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic as well as the Arlington Million (G1). The winner of the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic also will be granted an automatic berth to the Arlington Million.

Horses nominated to the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic were made eligible by a $100 payment that was due Feb. 13. Horses not nominated can qualify through a $1,000 late fee due April 10 or a $20,000 supplemental nomination due at the time of entry on April 27. The race is limited to 14 starters with preference given to winners of graded turf stakes and, after that, highest earnings in stakes races on turf in 2020-21.

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Champion Vequist Kicks Off Sophomore Season in Davona Dale

Eleven rivals will be waiting to take on recently crowned champion Vequist (Nyquist) in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park.

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine, campaigned in partnership by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and breeder Swilcan Stable, earned her diploma at second asking with a daylight tally in Saratoga's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 6. Second behind Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) as the 4-5 favorite in the GI Frizette S. at Belmont Oct. 10, she turned the tables on that rival with a two-length upset tally at 6-1 on the big stage at Keeneland most recently Nov. 6.

The Davona Dale 7-5 morning-line favorite has drawn post three. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride.

“It was a box that I was never sure that I would check, training a champion, so it was nice to get that accomplished,” trainer Butch Reid, Jr. said. “She's doing really well. We're very happy with her. She's acclimated to the weather down here. We've been down here a couple of months already, so we've taken our time and so far, so good.”

Reid added, “I expect her to run well. We don't have the screws completely tightened for this one, but it should be a nice stepping-stone with some big races down the line in mind.”

Juddmonte homebred Millefeuille (Curlin), from the loaded female family of Broodmare of the Year Toussaud (El Gran Senor), has the look of a potential upsetter.

A smart maiden winner at second asking going this same distance at Belmont Oct. 23, she just got reeled in late by the unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) after enjoying a clear lead in the stretch in the nine-furlong GII Demoiselle S. over a sloppy track last time Dec. 5. The bay fired a four-furlong warning shot in :48 4/5 (1/9) at Hall of Famer Bill Mott's Payson base Feb. 14.

Curlin's Catch (Curlin) looks to stay perfect on dirt while riding a two-race winning streak. After earning her diploma over track and trip at third asking Jan. 3, the Breeze Easy runner took care of business in Tampa's Suncoast S. most recently Feb. 6.

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Champion Vequist Ready For ‘Stepping-Stone’ Race In Davona Dale

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's Vequist, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020, is set to launch her highly anticipated sophomore season against 11 rivals in Saturday's $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 34th running of the one-mile Davona Dale is part of a blockbuster 14-race program featuring nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.475 million in purses anchored by the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27.

First race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Named for Calumet Farm's champion 3-year-old filly of 1979 that was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1985, the Davona Dale is Gulfstream's next stop for sophomore females toward the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) March 27. Last year's Oaks winner, Swiss Skydiver, went on to beat males in the Preakness (G1) and be named 3-year-old filly champion.

Vequist, the 7-5 favorite in the Davona Dale, is the latest in a family of champions. Her sire, Nyquist, was named North America's top juvenile male in 2015 and followed up by winning the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2016. Vequist's grandsire, Mineshaft, earned 2003 Eclipse Awards for older male and Horse of the Year.

Her title was the first for her trainer, Parx-based veteran Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr., approaching his 800th victory in a career that began in 1985. He and his wife and assistant, Ginny, have been overseeing Vequist's preparation at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“It was a box that I was never sure that I would check, training a champion, so it was nice to get that accomplished,” Reid said. “She's doing really well. We're very happy with her. She's acclimated to the weather down here. We've been down here a couple of months already, so we've taken our time and so far, so good.”

Vequist will be cutting back for her first race since a two-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland, a span of 114 days. She has breezed every other week since mid-January for her return, most recently going five furlongs in 59.65 seconds Feb. 13, second-fastest of 30 horses.

“I expect her to run well,” Reid said. “We don't have the screws completely tightened for this one but it should be a nice stepping-stone with some big races down the line in mind.”

The Davona Dale offers 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), scheduled for April 30 at Churchill Downs. Vequist is currently fourth in the standings with 24 points, all but four of them coming from her Breeders' Cup triumph.

Following the Breeders' Cup, the connections gave Vequist a breather at noted horseman Dr. Barry Esiaman's farm near Ocala, Fla. before she returned to Reid to begin preparations for her 2021 campaign.

“After the Breeders' Cup we wanted to get three starts in her and have the [Kentucky] Oaks be her third start of the year. This just fit well,” Reid said. “It's a one-turn mile, a little bit of a turnback, but we didn't want to go back any further than that. We didn't have to train her too hard for this one, and she's coming up to it well.”

Vequist made her career debut last July for Swilcan's Tom McGrath, running second by a nose after chasing the winner, fellow first-time starter Niente, from the gate in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight at Parx. Barber and Adam Wachtel saw enough to buy into the promising filly, who romped by 9 ½ lengths in the historic Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga in just her second start.

From there, Vequist was stretched out to a mile for the Frizette (G1) at Belmont Park, where she wound up two lengths behind Dayoutoftheoffice, another finalist for the 2-year-old filly Eclipse, and 10 ¼ lengths ahead of everyone else. Overlooked as the fourth choice in a field of seven for the Breeders' Cup, Vequist got an inside trip at Keeneland never far from the lead and found enough room to kick clear late.

“It was a sensational year. It all happened so quick. One day we were in a maiden race at Parx and the next thing we knew we were winning a Grade 1 at Saratoga,” Reid said. “It was all a bit of a blur but, in the end, it was very satisfying to be there with my family and everything.”

Reid said he has noticed a growth in Vequist, both physically and mentally, in her time since the Breeders' Cup. Riding for the first time is two-time defending Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. from Post 3 at topweight of 123 pounds.

“Definitely, physically you can see it. She's bigger and she's filled out nicely since her 2-year-old campaign,” Reid said. “She always had a good head on her shoulders, so she didn't have too much to jump forward there. She's just a smart filly and doesn't worry about too much so we're excited to get this first one under our belt.

“We're taking it one start at a time and we'll re-evaluate after this first start and make our plan from here,” he added. “There's a lot of exciting races on the horizon.”

Breeze Easy's Ontario-bred stakes winner Curlin's Catch will be among the horses looking to spoil Vequist's season debut. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the bay daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin made her first two starts last fall on the all-weather surface at Woodbine before getting time off.

Casse moved Curlin's Catch to the dirt for her sophomore opener Jan. 3 going a mile at Gulfstream, and she responded with a front-running 2 ¾-length triumph over next-out winner Tabor Hall. She stretched out for the Suncoast Stakes Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, rating just off the pace before splitting horses and sprinting clear to a 4 ½-length victory. She is 8-1 on the morning line.

“In the last race we had actually planned on being a little closer, but it didn't work out that way and it was fine. She handled it well,” Casse said. “We aren't going to be very far off of it. We are cutting back from the mile and 40 yards and two turns to one turn, so that's a little different. But she's not going to be far back.

“She's two-for-two on the dirt and definitely headed in the right direction,” he added. “This will be a true test on Saturday, [to see] where she fits in with the 3-year-old filly gang.”

Jose Ortiz has the call aboard Curlin's Catch from Post 4.

Another daughter of Curlin, Juddmonte Farms, Inc.'s homebred Millefeuille, is entered to make her sophomore debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The bay filly broke her maiden second time out going a mile last October at Belmont Park, and was beaten less than a length when second in the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle (G2) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct. Hall of Famer John Velazquez gets the assignment from Post 5.

Like Vequist, Phoenix Thoroughbreds III's Crazy Beautiful also exits the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, where she ran sixth following runner-up finishes in the Alcibiades (G1) and Pocahontas (G3). Winner of the Ellis Park Debutante last summer, she will be making her Gulfstream debut for Ken McPeek, the trainer of Swiss Skydiver. Robby Albarado rides from Post 6.

John Michello's Competitive Speed looks to rebound off a disappointing sixth, though beaten just 4 ½ lengths after some early traffic trouble, in the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream. She had won each of her previous three starts, including the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman Jan. 2 to open her sophomore season. Leonel Reyes has the call from Post 7.

Also entered are Adios Trippi, winner of the seven-furlong Gasparilla Jan. 16; Lady Traveler, Wholebodemeister and Three Tipsy Chix, respectively second, third and seventh in the Forward Gal; Happy Constitution, third in the seven-furlong Our Dear Peggy last fall at Gulfstream; Pens Street, a maiden winner last fall at Gulfstream who ran second in a Feb. 4 optional claiming allowance in her only two starts; and Hindsight.

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Champion, Breeders’ Cup Winner Vequist Tops Nominees To Feb. 27 Davona Dale

Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable's Vequist, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020, stands out among 30 nominees as she is poised to launch her sophomore season in the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) Saturday, Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

The one-mile Davona Dale for 3-year-old fillies is among eight stakes, seven graded, on a spectacular program supporting the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds, and serves as the next step for sophomore females on the road to the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) March 27.

Last year's Gulfstream Park Oaks was won by Swiss Skydiver, who would go on to defeat males in the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1) and win the Alabama (G1) en route to the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly.

Trained by Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr., Vequist broke her maiden in her second start – a 9 ½-length romp in the seven-furlong Spinaway (G1) last summer at Saratoga. From there, the daughter of 2016 Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist ran second in the one-mile Frizette (G1) and captured the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland by two lengths.

Vequist has spent the winter in South Florida, posting four works at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. Her most recent came Feb. 13, when she went five furlongs in 59.65 seconds, second-fastest of 30 horses.

Trained and co-owned by Timothy Hamm, Dayoutoftheoffice is also nominated to the Davona Dale. She broke her maiden sprinting 4 ½ furlongs last May at Gulfstream, then won the Schuylerville (G3) at Saratoga and beat Vequist in the Frizette before suffering her first loss when second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Others prominent among Davona Dale nominees are Ken McPeek-trained stablemates Simply Ravishing and Crazy Beautiful, 1-2 finishers in the Alcibiades (G1) last fall at Keeneland; trainer Todd Pletcher's undefeated duo of Zaajel, winner of the Jan. 30 Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream, and Malathaat, yet to race at 3 after capturing the Tempted and Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct; and stakes winners Adios Trippi, Competitive Speed, Curlin's Catch, Dreaming of Drew, Gulf Coast, No Mo' Spending, Oliviaofthedesert and Quinoa Tifah.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, pointing Holy Bull (G3) winner Greatest Honour to the Fountain of Youth, also has Performer among 18 nominees to the $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) for 4-year-olds and up on the main track. Grade 1-placed Performer's two Grade 3 wins include the Fred Hooper Jan. 23 at Gulfstream.

Claimer-turned Grade 1-winner Math Wizard is also nominated, along with multiple graded-stakes winner Tax, cross-nominated in the Mac Diarmida but yet to run on turf; Eye of a Jedi, second in the Hooper and Harlan's Holiday (G3) this winter; Sunshine Classic winner Last Judgment; Mr Freeze, winner of the Fayette (G2) and second in the Pegasus World Cup last year; 2020 Hooper winner Phat Man and War Stopper.

Twenty-nine older horses were nominated to the $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2) going 1 3/8 miles on the turf, 11 of them by Mike Maker, who captured the past two editions of the race with Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) winner Zulu Alpha. Among his contingent are Grade 1 winner Aquaphobia; Bemma's Boy, winner of last year's Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream; Cross Border, most recently third in the Pegasus Turf Jan. 23; and Tide of the Sea and Temple, 1-2 in Gulfstream's W.L. McKnight (G3) Jan. 23.

Pletcher nominated Pegasus Turf winner Colonel Liam and War Stopper, a two-time winner on dirt during the Championship Meet. Multi-millionaire Sadler's Joy won the Mac Diarmida in 2018 and most recently ran fourth in the McKnight to open his 8-year-old season. Graded-stakes winners Admiralty Pier, Admission Office, Eons and Spooky Channel are also on the list of nominees.

Colonel Liam is also one of 23 horses nominated to the $125,000 Canadian Turf (G3) for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles, along with Largent, the Dec. 12 Fort Lauderdale (G2) winner, and 2020 Appleton (G3) winner Social Paranoia, who respectively ran second and fourth behind their stablemate in the Pegasus Turf.

Fillies and mares 4 and up will contest the $125,000 The Honey Fox (G3) going one mile and the $125,000 The Very One (G3), contested at 1 3/16 miles. Got Stormy, a multiple Grade 1 winner of more than $2 million, and Marshua's River (G3) winner Zofelle top 27 Honey Fox nominees, while the 22 The Very One noms include Always Shopping, who became a graded winner on turf and dirt with her victory in the Jan. 23 La Prevoyante (G3) going 1 ½ miles.

Aside from the Fountain of Youth, sophomores will share the spotlight in the $100,000 Herecomesthebride (G3) for fillies and the $100,000 Palm Beach, both at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Gulfstream stakes winners Con Lima, Quinoa Tifah and Spanish Loveaffair are among 20 Herecomesthebride nominees, while the Palm Beach attracted 22 nominations led by Kitten's Joy (G3) winner Chess's Dream.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Fire At Will and Tarantino, second in the Holy Bull (G3) in his dirt debut, are also nominated to the Palm Beach but are being pointed to the Fountain of Youth.

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