Tag: kentucky oaks

Jody’s Pride Inspires Dreams of Lilies with Busher Win

Jody's Pride (f, 3, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) opened her 2024 with style here as she outgamed Carmelina (Maximus Mischief) to claim her first stakes win of the season in the Busher S.

A dirt horse by accident after her maiden turf dash debut Aug. 9 at Saratoga was brought off the grass and she dominated by 10 1/2 lengths, it was a similar story for the Matron S. in her second start Oct. 8 when that six-panel sprint also came off the turf and again sending Jody's Pride to the winner's enclosure. Intentionally entered in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies going long on the main track at Santa Anita Park, she continued her improvement to come a neck short of catching champion MGISW Just F Y I (Justify) at 17-1 odds.

Returning at a one-turn mile, and greeting a rainy New York day, the 4-5 favorite stalked Carmelina as she rolled through :23.62 and :46.81 early splits. Making a bid entering the bend, Jody's Pride had come on even terms with that leader from the six path as they swung into the upper stretch. The fillies locked horns to the final sixteenth before the eventual winner finally managed to move clear by 2 1/4 lengths. Gin Gin (Hightail) came on from the back to close the trifecta. With the score here, Jody's Pride secured 50 Kentucky Oaks points in addition to the 15 she earned from the runner-up effort at the Breeders' Cup.

 

“We gave her 30 days [after the Breeders' Cup] and then we brought her back to Palm Meadows; she was doing everything great,” said trainer Jorge Abreu. “She was working pretty good and we had her pointed for the Davonna Dale, and at the last minute, [co-owner] Mr. Weston decided to run her over here. So I said, 'OK, let's go.'”

When asked whether his stable star might next be seen in the GIII Gazelle S., a 100-point qualifier to the Kentucky Oaks Apr. 6, Abreu said, “I'm going to see how she comes out of it and probably [come back] here in the Gazelle, and then the Kentucky Oaks. She ran two turns already and my concern was if she was going to perform as well as she did as a 2-year-old. She did, and I think she wants to go longer than that even.”

Co-owner Steve Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds, too, is looking ahead to Kentucky. “We made it [to the Kentucky Oaks] once before with Venti Valentine and we actually won this race for the third time today. We won it twice with Final Furlong, with Venti Valentine and Espesso Shot. I'm not saying we have the best horse for the Oaks of the 14, but at least we have a chance.”

The second foal for Jody's Song, a half-sister to MSW & GISP Make Mischief (Into Mischief), Jody's Pride is the most accomplished for her dam. She has a 2-year-old full-brother Moreperfectunion as well as a yearling full-brother already named Jody's Legacy. The mare is due to Epicenter for 2024. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

BUSHER S., $200,000, Aqueduct, 3-2, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:38.49, sy.
1–JODY'S PRIDE, 120, f, 3, by American Pharoah
           1st Dam: Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy
           2nd Dam: Speightful Lady, by Speightstown
           3rd Dam: England's Rose, by Nureyev
O-Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (KY); T-Jorge R. Abreu; J-Jose Lezcano. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 4-3-1-0, $590,250.
2–Carmelina, 120, f, 3, Maximus Mischief–Complete St., by St Averil. ($44,000 Wlg '21 FTIDEC). O-Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC; B-Lillith E. Boucher (PA); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr.. $40,000.
3–Gin Gin, 120, f, 3, Hightail–Before You Know It, by Hard Spun. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $24,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.95, 8.80, 3.20.
Also Ran: Aoife's Magic, Regulatory Risk, Sicilian Princess, Princess Mayfair.

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The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 For Feb. 22

We have a new No. 1. Tarifa (Bernardini) beat a stellar field in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at the Fair Grounds to soar up the list to the top spot. We've dropped Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}), who has only had two three furlongs works so far this year, raising the possibility that she won't be ready for the GI Kentucky Oaks. We've also dropped Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Rachel Alexandra and Life Talk (Gun Runner), who was a disappointing sixth in the Suncoast S. for Repole/Pletcher. The spotlight this weekend will be on the GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park, which includes two members of our top 10.

Here's a look at the third installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10:

1) TARIFA (f, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $278,925. Last start: WON Feb. 17 GII Rachel Alexandra S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 23 or GI Ashland S., Kee, Apr. 5

We didn't even have this filly on prior Top 10 lists, but she did enough in her win in the Rachel Alexandra to move all the way up to the top spot. Making her first start in a stakes and going up against some tough, more experienced horses, this was no easy spot for the daughter of Bernardini as she was facing, among others, GII Golden Rod S. winner Intricate (Gun Runner). But she made it look easy, drawing off to win by 2 3/4 lengths under Flavien Prat, picking up a Beyer figure of 90, the same number given to GII Risen Star S. winner Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). As usual, trainer Brad Cox is loaded with talent in the 3-year-old filly division and will be searching for his third win in the race since 2018. With the sire's death in 2021, Tarifa is a member of Bernardini's penultimate crop to hit the track.

2) JUST F Y I (f, Justify–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-George Krikorian (Ky); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly, GISW, 3-3-0-0, $1,317,750. Last start: WON Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 2.

Just F Y I | Benoit Photography

Hard to knock the champ down a spot in this poll when she hasn't done anything wrong. But it's becoming apparent with each prep that she's going to have to step up her game when it comes to how fast she is. While a horse like Tarifa picked up a 90 Beyer in her last start, Just FYI has never run faster than a 79. That's not to say she can't do it. Horses can improve dramatically from two to three and in Bill Mott she is being trained by one of the very best in the business. She's had five workouts so far this winter at Payson Park, the latest being a five-furlong breeze on Feb. 17 in 1:03.60, so look for Mott to tighten the screws in the coming weeks.

3) JODY'S PRIDE (f, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) O-Parkland Thoroughbreds & Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (Ky); T-Jorge R Abreu. Lifetime Record: SW & GISP, 3-2-1-0, $480,250. Last start: 2nd Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 2.

The runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Jody's Pride is also being pointed for the GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream, which will mark her 3-year-old debut. The Davona Dale looks like it's going to come up very strong. The knock on Jody's Pride is the same as it is on Just F Y I. She's not particularly fast and the 79 she got in the Juvenile Fillies is her all-time best number. If this doesn't work out she can always try the turf as she is by American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). In the Juvenile Fillies, she was ridden by Flavien Prat, who also has the mount on Tarifa.

4) KOPION (f, Omaha Beach—Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) O-Spendthrift Farm; B-Tall Oaks Farm (Ky); T-Richard Mandella. Sales history: $270,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $116,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 10 GIII Las Virgenes S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GII Santa Anita Oaks, SA, Apr. 6

Kopion | Benoit

Kopion is not the best 3-year-old filly based in Southern California. Kinza (Carpe Diem) is, and she beat her handily in the GIII Las Virgenes S. on Feb. 10. But Kinza is trained by Bob Baffert, which means she is effectively banned from running in the Oaks. Kopion might be second on the Southern California depth chart, but she's a good filly in her own right. In just three lifetime starts, she's won a Grade III and placed in another. Is trained by Richard Mandella, who likes to take his time with his horses, so it may be that we haven't seen her best yet. Still another filly ridden by Flavien Prat, who is the regular rider of three of the top four horses in this poll.

5) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $89,950. Last start: WON Jan. 11 AOC at Gulfstream Park. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 2.

Has an interesting pedigree. Is by Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday) out of an unraced Galileo (Ire) mare and she wasn't cheap. Owner Mandy Pope paid $1,150,000 for her at Keeneland September. She's only raced twice, has yet to run in a stakes race and has never gone beyond seven furlongs, so she has some catching up to do. In her last race, she won a Gulfstream allowance by a length and had to fight off a challenge from Gun Song (Gun Runner). That filly came back and won her next start by 5 3/4 lengths. Leslie's Rose will have to do more to solidify her status as a top Kentucky Oaks threat, but it's clear that she has a world of potential.

6) POWER SQUEEZE (f, Union Rags–Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again) O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks Farm (KY); T-Jorge Delgado. Sales history: $50,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: MSW, 5-3-1-0, $188,650. Last start: WON Feb. 10 Suncoast S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GP, Mar. 30.

Trained by up-and-coming trainer Jorge Delgado, she's been carefully managed so far this year. After she broke her maiden at Delaware Park in October, she came back to win two non-graded races this year, the Cash Run S. and the Suncoast S. Will have a much stiffer test in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, but very well could be up to the task. Life Talk was supposed to dominate in the Suncoast, but threw in a clunker, so there's no telling how good the competition behind Power Squeeze was. Was ridden by Daniel Centeno in the Suncoast. Will be interesting to see if Delgado goes for a more high profile jockey for the next start.

7) WEST OMAHA (f, West Coast–Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-2-0, $203,000. Last start: WON Jan. 20 Sillverbulletday S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25. Next Start: GIII Honeybee S., OP, Feb. 24.

She was last seen winning the Jan. 20 Silverbulletday S. at the Fair Grounds and is now slated to run in Saturday's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park. The Silverbulletday was a fairly soft spot so she may need to improve to win the Honeybee. Is a Brad Cox trainee and a homebred from the Gary and Mary West operation. The Wests have yet to win a Kentucky Oaks. She was entered in the Rachel Alexandra and was one of three trained by Cox entered. But he scratched West Omaha and put her on a van to Oaklawn, no doubt trying to find a way to keep some of his horses apart.

8) INTRICATE (f, Gun Runner–Complex Analysis, by Distorted Humor) O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scot Estes & Cambron Equine, LLC; B-LBD Stable, LLC (Ky); T-Brendan Walsh. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-1-0, $362,180. Last start: 2nd GII Rachel Alexandra S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 35. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 23

Didn't run a bad race at all when second in the Rachel Alexandra when beaten 2 3/4 lengths by Tarifa. But she was the 17-10 favorite, so the race should go down as a mild disappointment. Has drawn comparisons to last year's Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) because both are trained by Brendan Walsh. Pretty Mischievous also had one off day on her way to Oaks glory, finishing second in the Fair Grounds Oaks. No reason why Intricate can't rebound.

9) BAND OF GOLD (f, Preservationist–Play for Gold by Cairo Prince) O-Dixiana Farms LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (Ky); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. Sales history: $70,000 wnlg '21 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $206,000. Last start: WON Feb. 3 Martha Washington S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GIII Honeybee S., OP, Feb. 24.

Band of Gold | Coady

The Honeybee will be a big test for this Kenny McPeek trainee. She's coming off a 2 3/4-length win in the Martha Washington, but some may want to downgrade the effort since she was 24-1 that day and she was not good in her previous start, the Untapable S. Was it a fluke? With her having gone from a 63 Beyer to a 86 in the Martha Washington, may also be a bounce candidate.

10) RECHARGE (f, Gun Runner–Remit, by Tapit) O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Steve Asmussen. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-3-0-0, $189,498. Last start: WON Feb. 18 Sunland Park Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GIII Fantasy S., OP, Mar. 30.

It looks Steve Asmussen has his horse for the Oaks. Recharge is undefeated in three starts and was last seen winning the Sunland Park Oaks. Prior to that, she broke her maiden at Remington and then won an allowance at Sam Houston, so, apparently, was not part of Asmussen's first string. There are definitely questions regarding who she has beaten, but there's also plenty of time for Asmussen to improve her and have her ready for tougher spots.

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Champion Filly Just F Y I Leads 104 Nominations to Kentucky Oaks

George Krikorian's champion homebred Just F Y I (Justify) leads a cast of 104 3-year-old fillies that were nominated to compete in the 150th running of the $1.5-million GI Longines Kentucky Oaks Friday, May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Just F Y I joins 23 other stakes winners based across North America that were nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, including recent GII Rachel Alexandra S. winner Tarifa (Bernardini); GI Alcibiades S. winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}); and GII Golden Rod S. winner Intricate (Gun Runner).

The 104 fillies became eligible to compete in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks with a $200 payment that was due Saturday, Feb. 17. Three-year-old fillies not made eligible during the early nomination phase can become eligible with a $1,500 late payment due Wednesday, Apr. 10.

Krikorian's undefeated Just F Y I sits atop the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 40 points that she earned by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Frizette S. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Just F Y I is based this winter at Payson Park Training Center in South Florida where she continues to train toward her 3-year-old debut.

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Deja Vu! Godolphin’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Tarifa Best in Rachel Alexandra

Raise your hand if this sounds familiar: a 3-year-old filly in the Godolphin blue captured the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at Fair Grounds to earn 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

So far, Tarifa (f, 3, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) is following the script laid out last year by Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) perfectly. Like her year-older fellow Godolphin homebred, she, too, was named a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut. In a replay of last year, she, too, won the Rachel Alexandra for her first graded score. Will she follow suit with a GI Kentucky Oaks win and ultimately an Eclipse championship after a stellar 3-year-old campaign?

Over a sloppy and sealed Fair Grounds track darkened by both the weather and the hour, Tarifa bounded cleanly out of the inside gate. She held on to her rail spot as Flavien Prat restrained her lightly in third while letting SP Perfect Shot (Gun Runner) and Untapable S. winner Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) lead the way through :24.37 and :48.55 early quarters. With positions unchanged going into the turn, GSW & GISP V V's Dream (Mitole), also a 'TDN Rising Star', joined Tarifa to the outside briefly until Tarifa was let loose. She tipped out with great energy, swapped to her wrong lead for several strides as her momentum carried her past the leaders, and quickly refocused when corrected back to her proper lead. She found another gear to finish a much-the-best, 2 3/4-length winner over GSW Intricate (Gun Runner). Final time for the 8 1/2 furlongs was 1:45.28.

“She jumped very well and showed some early speed. From there we got to the first turn and I was able to get myself to the pocket,” said Prat. “She traveled well all the way around and kicked home.”

Tarifa made her sophomore debut Jan. 20 over a fast Fair Grounds surface at a mile and 70 yards with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure with Florent Geroux in the irons and blinkers removed. Geroux, who had ridden her in all three previous starts, stuck with Tarifa's Brad Cox-trained stablemate, Alpine Princess, Saturday. Sandwiched between that Jan. 20 win and her ultra-impressive, six-length 'Rising Star' Keeneland debut in October, Tarifa had finished flat in an off-the-board November optional allowance at Churchill.

“She acted like she could run before we debuted her at Keeneland,” said Cox. “I thought running her on the Beard Course made sense for her. The second race at Churchill going a mile was a head scratcher. She responded well here in January. She jumped out well, got a good early position, tracked the leaders, and really stretched out well. The Rachel Alexandra has been a great path to the Kentucky Oaks and we've had some success with that route. This is a good filly and we will keep marching forward.”

As has been well documented, four winners of the Rachel Alexandra in the past decade have won the Kentucky Oaks. The Rachel Alexandra offers 105 qualifying points for the Oaks, with the first five finishers earning points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. While Godolphin's win in the Rachel Alexandra last year was with trainer Brendan Walsh, who trains runner-up Intricate here, Cox previously won the race in 2022 with Turnerloose (Nyquist) and in 2018 with Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). The latter was one of the four who pulled off the Rachel Alexandra/Kentucky Oaks double in the last 10 years.

 

Pedigree Notes:

Classic winner, Eclipse champion, and leading sire Bernardini, a Darley homebred who stood at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Central Kentucky before his death at 18 due to complications from laminitis, is the sire of 87 worldwide black-type winners. While Tarifa is the first Rachel Alexandra winner among his 53 graded winners, he is the sire of the lone filly out of the race's namesake and that daughter–Rachel's Valentina–won the 2015 GI Spinaway S. Bernardini has top-class winners in nearly all categories and is also well established as one of the sport's leading broodmare sires. His final crop will race this year.

Although Tarifa is Bernardini's first stakes winner out of an Awesome Again mare, he has three graded winners out of daughters of Awesome Again's sire, Deputy Minister. They include Grade I winners To Honor and Serve and Angela Renee. Awesome Again has 102 stakes winners out of his own daughters.

Kite Beach, the unraced dam of Tarifa, was a Godolphin homebred after her dam, GSW Tizdubai (Cee's Tizzy), was purchased by the operation for $950,000 at the Keeneland November sale of 2001. Tizdubai is a full-sister to Horse of the Year and two-time GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow, as well as to MGSW and Classic runner-up Budroyale. Kite Beach was sold twice after Tarifa was born and most recently went to Calumet Farm for $115,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed sale. She has a 2-year-old full-sister to Tarifa named Josie's Girl, who was sold to Matthew Davis for $105,000 at last summer's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale, and a yearling Knicks Go colt. She was bred to Calumet's Lexitonian for 2024.

Saturday, Fair Grounds
RACHEL ALEXANDRA S. PRESENTED BY FASIG-TIPTON-GII, $291,000, Fair Grounds, 2-17, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.28, sy.
1–TARIFA, 122, f, 3, by Bernardini
           1st Dam: Kite Beach, by Awesome Again
           2nd Dam: Tizdubai, by Cee's Tizzy
           3rd Dam: Cee's Song, by Seattle Song
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $278,925. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Intricate, 122, f, 3, Gun Runner–Complex Analysis, by Distorted Humor. ($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes and Cambron Equine, LLC; B-LBD Stable, LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $60,000.
3–Perfect Shot, 122, f, 3, Gun Runner–Meister Legend, by Bodemeister. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($135,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $285,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-Sierra Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $30,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3, 3 1/4. Odds: 2.50, 1.70, 17.60.
Also Ran: Alpine Princess, V V's Dream, Pennick. Scratched: West Omaha.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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