Royally-Bred Pauline’s Pearl Tabbed Morning-Line Favorite For Iowa Oaks

Sired by Tapit and out of the Grade 1 winner Hot Dixie Chick, Stonestreet homebred Pauline's Pearl has been tabbed as the 2-1 morning line favorite for Friday's Grade 3, $250,000 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Altoona, Ia. The 3-year-old filly, trained by Steve Asmussen, won the G3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn before finishing eighth in the G1 Kentucky Oaks.

A close second choice on the morning line at 5-2 is G2 Black-Eyed Susan winner Army Wife, trained by Mike Maker. The Declaration of War filly will break from the rail under top jockey Joel Rosario.

Winner of the listed Busanda Stakes in January, The Grass is Blue also ships west for trainer Bill Mott. The Broken Vow filly most recently finished sixth in the Black-Eyed Susan.

The full field is as follows:

  1. Army Wife – Maker – Rosario
  2. Pauline's Pearl – Asmussen – Ricardo Santana, Jr.
  3. Sister Annie – Brad Cox – Florent Geroux
  4. Shesa Mystery – Jeff Hiles – David Cabrera
  5. The Grass Is Blue – Mott – Junior Alvarado
  6. Oliviaofthedesert – Ken McPeek – Shane Laviolette
  7. Windwill – Larry Jones – Alex Birzer

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The Haiku Handicapper Presented By Form2Win: 2021 Kentucky Oaks

Time to analyze the 2021 Kentucky Oaks field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.

To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Pauline's Pearl
Bloodline of a star
But has she been a big fish
Among the minnows?

#2 – Maracuja
Big Gazelle form jump
Still puts her a rung beneath
The field's upper tier

#3 – Clairiere
Travel Column holds
A two-to-one advantage
Going head-to-head

#4 – Crazy Beautiful
Her only real dud
Came in last year's Breeders' Cup
Bad day? Class ceiling?

#5 – Pass the Champagne
Her talent's bubbling
Might be time to pop the cork
Make room on tickets

#6 – Travel Column
Starred in her last prep
And can win from anywhere
Sitting in first class

#8 – Moraz
Bred for the classics
Missing a killer instinct
Can't win without it

#9 – Coach
Like Belichick's Pats
She hasn't been a true threat
Since late October

#10 – Malathaat
Answered a big doubt
When she won outside New York
Ought to have a say

#11 – Will's Secret
Odds would cut in half
If the race were at Oaklawn
Alas, it is not

#12 – Search Results
No need to Ask Jeeves
She'll be in the lead Dogpile
Her chances Excite

#13 – Competitive Speed
Bears a fitting name
If she's in a one-turn race
Not a likely threat

#14 – Millefeuille
Her form lags behind
But her mornings are bullets
Mott might have her right

Prediction
Evenly-matched bout
Travel Column guts it out
Five, ten fill the tri

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Oaks Notes: Asmussen ‘Ecstatic’ With Clairiere, Pauline’s Pearl In His Quest For Third Oaks Victory

Stonestreet Stables' homebreds Clairiere and Pauline's Pearl turned in half-mile works at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., to complete their major preparation for Friday's 147th running of the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Pauline's Pearl was the first to work over a main track labeled as good during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses. She was clocked in :50.60.

Clairiere followed shortly thereafter, covering the distance in :49.60. Both fillies are trained by two-time Oaks-winning conditioner Steve Asmussen.

The draw for the Longines Kentucky Oaks will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday in the Aristides Lounge.

AVA'S GRACE – Cypress Creek Equine's Ava's Grace jogged two miles under exercise rider Walter Davila at 5:30 Sunday morning over a track labeled as good.

Sunday's activity marked the first day back on the track for Ava's Grace since working a half-mile in :49.20 on Friday with jockey David Cohen aboard.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro is scheduled to be on hand at the barn Monday morning.

CLAIRIERE, PAULINE'S PEARL – Stonestreet Stables' homebreds Pauline's Pearl and Clairiere completed their final Oaks preparations Sunday morning, working four furlongs over a “good” main track in a pair of maintenance solo drills.

Pauline's Pearl, a daughter of Tapit, was up first immediately after the track opened at 7:30 for Derby and Oaks horses, and went in 50.60, with splits of :13 and :25.40 under exercise rider Wilson Fabian. Clairiere, a Curlin filly, followed about a minute behind under Angel Garcia and went in :49.60, with splits of :11.80, :23.80, while galloping out in 1:03.40. Pauline's Pearl was credited with the 22nd fastest time of 27 at the distance, while Clairiere was 10th-fastest. Some 80 minutes later, Asmussen was beaming back Barn 38.

“We're ecstatic,” Asmussen said. “Pauline's Pearl went first and my first words to Wilson were 'How did she go?' and he said 'Beautiful.' Both are regular riders of the horses so they are good measures and extremely familiar with them.”

COACH, TRAVEL COLUMN – Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Travel Column and Fantasy (G3) third-place finisher Coach jogged at 7:30 a.m. with trainer Brad Cox watching from the five-eighths pole clocker stand.

“Both fillies bounced out of their work in good shape and we're ready for Friday,” Cox said. “Hopefully we get a favorable draw and we'll take our tactics from there.”

COMPETITIVE SPEED – John Minchello's Competitive Speed had a leisurely 1 ½-mile gallop under exercise rider Anthony Gallo Sunday morning for trainer Javier Gonzalez.

Competitive Speed was returning to the track for the first time since working five furlongs in 1:02.40 on Friday.

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL – Phoenix Thoroughbred LTD's Crazy Beautiful had a quiet Sunday morning at trainer Kenny McPeek's barn, walking the shedrow following her workout on Saturday. Assistant trainer Greg Geier said the filly showed no problems following the workout, and is on track for Friday's Kentucky Oaks.

On Saturday, Crazy Beautiful was clocked at :49.20 for four furlongs, with splits of :12 and :23.60, then finishing up in 1:02.60 for five furlongs.

MALATHAAT – Shadwell Stable's Malathaat, one of the likely favorites for Friday's $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks, returned to the racetrack Sunday morning following a walk day Saturday and jogged an easy mile under exercise rider Amelia Green for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The bay Curlin filly has raced four times so far in her career and gone to the winner's circle following each one. She closed out 2020 with a tally in the Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct in New York, then returned this year on April 3 at Keeneland in Lexington to get up for a head score in the Ashland (G1).

Pletcher has named Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez to handle the bay miss in the nine-furlong test that will be the 147th edition of the “Run for the Lillies.”

MARACUJA – Beach Haven Thoroughbreds' Maracuja came out of her final Oaks work in good shape and will ship to Churchill Sunday afternoon, according to trainer Rob Atras.

The daughter of Honor Code put in her final Oaks work Saturday morning at Belmont Park, going four furlongs in 48.20 in company with New York-bred stablemate Horn of Plenty. Atras plans on arriving Thursday.

MILLEFEUILLE – Juddmonte Farms' Millefeuille walked the shedrow at trainer Bill Mott's barn a day after working a best-of-29 at the distance five furlongs in :59.60.

MORAZ – Don Alberto Stable's homebred Moraz arrived at Churchill Downs shortly after noon Sunday following a flight from her Southern California base. Assistant trainer Justin Curran had a stall ready for her at Barn 37 following her flight of just more 2,000 miles.

The daughter of Empire Maker had put in her final Oaks prep with a :48.20 move Saturday morning at Santa Anita for trainer Michael McCarthy. The conditioner also scheduled a flight from L.A. Sunday and was expected to land in Louisville at some point this evening.

PASS THE CHAMPAGNE – R. A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge Racing, BlueRidge Stables and James Brown's Pass the Champagne galloped Sunday morning at Palm Beach Downs.

Trained by George Weaver, Pass the Champagne will begin the van trip to Churchill Downs later Sunday with an early Monday morning arrival.

SEARCH RESULTS – Klaravich Stables' Search Results returned to the track for the first time since completing her final Oaks work Friday for trainer Chad Brown. The undefeated daughter of Flatter walked the shedrow Saturday morning and jogged once around the main track, which was listed as “good.” Sunday morning. Brown indicated Search Results will resume galloping Monday morning.

WILL'S SECRET – Willis Horton's Honeybee (G2) winner Will's Secret jogged at 7:30 a.m. for trainer Dallas Stewart.

She's scheduled to gallop at the same time Monday.

SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY OAKS – Likely starters in the 147th running of the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on Friday, April 30, in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Search Results (Irad Ortiz Jr., Chad Brown); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Crazy Beautiful (Jose Ortiz, Kenny McPeek); Pauline's Pearl (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Malathaat (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher); Clairiere (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); Will's Secret (Jon Court, Dallas Stewart); Millefeuille (Joel Rosario, Bill Mott); Moraz (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy); Ava's Grace (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro); Pass the Champagne (Javier Castellano, George Weaver); Maracuja (Kendrick Carmouche, Rob Atras); Competitive Speed (Chris Landeros, Javier Gonzalez); Coach (Luis Saez, Brad Cox).

Next up in order of preference: Spritz (TBA, Rodolphe Brisset).

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All in the Family with Stonestreet’s Oaks Fillies

Barbara Banke has a lofty goal heading into this year's GI Kentucky Oaks.

“I would love for there to be a Stonestreet trifecta,” she said. “That would be my dream.”

It sounds like quite the feat, but a trio of sophomore fillies foaled and raised at Stonestreet Farm are shaking out to be some of the strongest contenders expected to be vying for the garland of stargazer lilies on the last Friday of April.

GII Rachel Alexandra S. victress Clairiere (Curlin) and GIII Fantasy S. winner Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) both aim to get Stonestreet Stables its first trip to the Oaks winner's circle, while GI Ashland S. heroine and 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin), a daughter of Stonestreet homebred Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), will sport the silks of Shadwell Stable.

What's Stonestreet's secret to molding such a potentially-historic state of affairs?

“It's pretty simple,” the farm's owner explained. “We take super speedy mares and we breed them to great stallions, and then we raise them right.”

That formula is fulfilled in all three of the Oaks-bound fillies as each is out of a Grade I winner that was once raced by Stonestreet connections.

“All three of the broodmares were really, really fast,” Banke said. “We raced them and saw what they could do, and then we treated them like horses. They're rough and tough and we raise their babies the same way. They stay outside and they spend their early years running around in paddocks and behaving like normal horses. So we think we have all the ingredients to have really spectacular foals that can eventually bear that out on the track.”

One of the top choices going into the Oaks, Clairiere is the first foal out of Stonestreet's three-time Grade I winner Cavorting (Bernardini).

A daughter of GSW Promenade Girl (Carson City), Cavorting was a $360,000 weanling purchase for Stonestreet in 2012. Banke vividly remembers the future star's early days.

“Cavorting was very rambunctious,” she recalled. “When we bought her, she leaped out of the trailer and we thought she was dead. She was down on the ground, but she got up eventually and went on to the farm where she leaped out of her paddock. Eventually we had to put her in her own paddock earlier than most fillies because she was very bossy. But, she was a great racehorse. She won going short. She won going long. She did everything.”

It wasn't until the summer of Cavorting's 4-year-old season, when she had already racked in five stakes victories including the 2015 GI Test S., when trainer Kiaran McLaughlin decided to stretch her out past a mile in the GI Ogden Phipps S.

“We didn't expect her to win because she had never gone long before,” Banke admitted.

But of course she did win, and she backed that victory with a second over a 1 1/8 miles in the GI Personal Ensign S. in her career finale.

Cavorting was initially bred to a second multi-million-dollar earner for Stonestreet in their flagbearing sire Curlin. When the bay filly arrived, Banke said she knew early on that the youngster would grow to be something special.

“Clairiere was a beautiful foal,” she recalled. “She's of course by Curlin, who is my  favorite sire of all time. She's like many Curlins where she was good, but she gets better and better as she goes forward into her 3-year-old year and hopefully 4-year-old year and beyond.”

A debut winner last October, Clairiere has since gone head-to-head with another top Oaks contender, Travel Column (Frosted), in each of her three graded starts, besting her rival by a neck with a come-from-behind performance in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Banke said it was a full-circle moment for the connections to get the win in a race honoring their Hall of Fame mare.

“It was fabulous when she won the Rachel Alexandra,” Banke said. “She really put it together and managed to make her Curlin-esque move at the end. She's going to be a really good horse in the Oaks and I think she'll just continue to improve as the year goes on.”

Banke said that Cavorting's second daughter, La Crete, is not far from seeing the starting gate. | Stonestreet Farm

Banke reported that Cavorting has checked in foal to Into Mischief this year, but in the meantime, it won't be long to wait before her second daughter, named La Crete, makes it to the starting gate.

“Clairere is named for a spectacular Pinot noir vineyard that I have in Oregon and La Crete is her 2-year-old half-sister by Medaglia d'Oro,” Banke explained. “La Crete is another spectacular Pinot noir vineyard in Oregon, so we're keeping it all in the family, so to speak. She's at our training center and she's doing well. She's strong- I think maybe even a little stronger earlier than Clairiere.”

Stonestreet's second star sophomore filly, Pauline's Pearl, is a daughter of Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union).

Purchased as a juvenile for $435,000 in 2009, Hot Dixie Chick was the first colorbearer for Banke's Grace Stable. Fulfilling the ownership's acronym of 'Girls Rule and Competently Endure,' the daughter of GSW Above Perfection (In Excess {Ire}) ran in the money in each of her seven career starts, earning her most notable win in the 2009 GI Spinaway S.

“Hot Dixie Chick was the most mellow racehorse of all time,” Banke recalled. “She would fall asleep in the saddling paddock and then go out and break the track record. She was fun to watch and she has gone on to produce great babies for us.”

Her first foal, Union Jackson (Curlin), was a dual stakes winner for Stonestreet. The same year as Union Jackson's retirement to Sequel New York, Hot Dixie Chick's half-brother Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) won the GI Kentucky Derby.

In the spring of Always Dreaming's sophomore campaign, Hot Dixie Chick was bred to champion sire Tapit, a mating that produced the current Oaks hopeful.

“Pauline's Pearl is a beautiful Tapit filly,” Banke said of the subsequent foal. “When she went to the training center, we thought she was one of our best for the year and she has developed over time.”

It took some patience from trainer Steve Asmussen to get all the pieces to fall into place for Pauline's Pearl, but by her third start she made it to the winner's circle and next gave a runner-up effort in the GIII Honeybee S. before taking the GIII Fantasy S.

“She was a little bit behind in terms of racing experience, but she's making up for it fast,” Banke said. “She's named for my mother and every time we name a horse after my mother, it's a graded stakes winner.”

Banke reported that Hot Dixie Chick produced a full brother to Union Jackson that is now a juvenile in training at Keeneland with Steve Asmussen and this February, she foaled a colt by up-and-coming young sire Constitution.

“He's quite fast and very agile,” Banke said of the youngster. “He's really going to be something special, I think, so he's one to keep an eye open for later in life.”

Banke added that Hot Dixie Chick will visit Tapit again this year.

While Malathaat, the third Stonestreet-bred Oaks hopeful, races under a different ownership banner, she is the only one of the three to come from a Stonestreet homebred.

Dreaming of Julia (A. P. Indy) was the first foal out of dual Grade I winner Dream Rush (Wild Rush) and was named after Banke's daughter. She was undefeated in her first three starts at two, including the GI Frizette S., but Banke said that the race she most frequently looks back on was the Todd Pletcher trainee's 21 3/4-length victory in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks.

“She was just so much better than anything else that day,” Banke said. “She was favored in the Kentucky Oaks but then she got creamed coming out of the gate so she lost all chance of winning, but still managed to get up for fourth.”

Malathaat's full sister will be staying home from the sales this year, Banke reports. | Katie Ritz

When Dreaming of Julia produced her third foal, it was decided that the Curlin filly would go through the auction ring. As a yearling, she sold for $1.05 million to Shadwell Stable at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale.

Later named Malathaat, the 'TDN Rising Star' is now undefeated in four starts, most recently taking the GI Ashland S. by a head for the same trainer who oversaw her dam's career.

So why was this the filly Stonestreet decided to take to market?

“You know, we have to sell some; we cannot race them all,” Banke said with a laugh. “We have about 80 babies each year so there's no way we can keep everything. She was one where we said, she's spectacular but we do need to bring in the revenue this year, so she was on the list to sell. But I'm excited to see what she will do and while I was sad to hear that Sheik Hamdan [owner, Shadwell Farm] had passed away, I hope his family can enjoy watching her.”

Banke said she is fairly confident they won't be selling other daughters of Dreaming of Julia any time soon.

“Dreaming of Julia actually had a few that have died, so I'm glad to see Malathaat doing so well,” she said. “Malathaat may be the last one we ever sell from that mare because she really has nice babies and we're looking forward to great things from her in the future.”

Malathaat's yearling full sister is one that Banke said she will definitely be holding onto.

“She looks like a queen and she moves really well,” Banke said. “She will be staying home from the sale, but I'm glad to show her off because she is really something.”

Another sister, this one by Medaglia d'Oro, was foaled earlier this month.

“She already looks spectacular to me,” Banke said of the new filly. “I've loved that sire ever since Rachel Alexandra and I'm really hoping for great things for her, but I'm going to have to wait a few years to see it come to fruition.”

This year, Dreaming of Julia is expected to go back to Curlin.

This Quality Road half-brother to Midnight Bourbon could one day become the fifth graded stakes winner out of Catch the Moon. | Katie Ritz

The 2008 Horse of the Year has potential for a monumental year at stud if he were to earn his first win as a sire in either the GI Kentucky Derby or the GI Kentucky Oaks. Two of his sons, GI Florida Derby winner Known Agenda and recent GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. victor King Fury both have points on the road to the Kentucky Derby, while Malathaat and Clairiere are among five daughters of Curlin with points on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.

To top off everything else that the farm has going for itself heading into Derby weekend, Stonestreet will also be represented by a colt in the Kentucky Derby. Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) was bred and raised at Stonestreet before selling to Winchell Thoroughbreds as a yearling for $525,000.

Stonestreet purchased his dam, Catch the Moon (Malibu Moon), at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale for $240,000 in foal to Shanghai Bobby. The resulting foal, named Pirate's Punch, went on to become a Grade III winner.

“This is a mare who has had four graded stakes winners in her first four foals,” Banke said. “So you can't beat her as a broodmare. Midnight Bourbon is a beautiful horse and he's by Tiznow, so that would be exciting if he does well because we need that sire line in Kentucky.”

Catch the Moon had a Curlin colt sell for $500,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale and she also has a yearling Quality Road colt and a Curlin colt, foaled this February, in the pipeline.

“It's been really fun for me to see this homebred success,” Banke said. “We're aiming for the top end of the market, we're aiming for the top races and we're aiming for the stars. We want to see something really spectacular come off of this farm.”

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