Ten hopefuls for next Friday's 149th running of the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (Grade 1) took center stage Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.
Leading the charge was probable morning line favorite Wet Paint who worked five furlongs in company with stablemate and Oaks hopeful The Alys Look in 1:01 for trainer Brad Cox.
Also working for Cox was Botanical, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 in company with Flashy Gem.
Four-time Oaks winning trainer Todd Pletcher worked Gambling Girl and Julia Shining a half-mile together with Gambling Girl being clocked in :50 and Julia Shining in :49.60
Pretty Mischievous worked a half-mile in company with Gilmore in :47.80 for trainer Brendan Walsh.
Southlawn worked a half-mile in :48.80 for trainer Norm Casse.
Wonder Wheel worked a half-mile in :47.20 for trainer Mark Casse.
Flying Connection worked five furlongs in company with Olivia Twist in 1:00.60 for trainer Todd Fincher.
Hoosier Philly worked a half-mile in :48.40 for trainer Tom Amoss.
At Keeneland, Affirmative Lady worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 for trainer Graham Motion.
AFFIRMATIVE LADY – AMO Racing USA's Affirmative Lady, winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in her most recent start, worked five furlongs at Keeneland this morning in 1:01.40 with Kevin Lundie aboard for trainer Graham Motion.
“I was very happy with her work this morning,” Motion said of the move over a fast track. “It was very similar to last week (five furlongs in 1:01 last Friday).
“I would have preferred to wait another day but it was too risky with the weather.”
Affirmative Lady is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Monday.
BOTANICAL, THE ALYS LOOK, WET PAINT – Trainer Brad Cox's trio of Longines Kentucky Oaks runners Botanical, The Alys Look and Wet Paint had their final works prior to the first Friday in May.
At 7:30 a.m., Botanical, with Chris Landeros up, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 outside of stablemate Flashy Gem, who completed the same distance in 1:00.80. Just prior to Botanical's move, The Alys Look, with Luis Saez up, worked five furlongs in 1:01 inside Wet Paint, who had Flavien Prat in the irons.
“It was a good morning for all three horses. We were just looking for them to do things easily with a week out from the race and we got that,” Cox said. “These fillies worked with their same workmates as last week. We liked how those works went so didn't want to change much going into today. It's a competitive field in this year's Oaks, just like the Derby is with the boys. We're in a fortunate position to have three horses in the race.”
All three fillies will have light training days Friday, according to Cox.
DEFINING PURPOSE – With regular exercise rider Shelby Spalding aboard, the impressive Ashland Stakes (G1) winner put in her usual mile-and-a-quarter gallop, without any issues, said Greg Geier, assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek.
Plans still call for the Magdalena Racing, Collette Marie Vanmatre and James Ball filly to breeze on Saturday.
FLYING CONNECTION – Brad King, Randy Andrews, G. Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee Lewis' Flying Connection worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.60 with Oaks rider Florent Geroux aboard.
Working in company with Coleman's Olivia Twist, Flying Connection started 3 lengths in front and posted fractions of :24.80, :37, 1:00.60 and out six furlongs in 1:13.60. Olivia Twist, who was third in the Fantasy (G3) and a candidate for next Friday's $500,000 Eight Belles (G2), was ridden by Mickaelle Michel and timed in 1:00.20.
“I wanted to work them together … give them a little competition,” trainer Todd Fincher said. “We got what we wanted. I thought Mickaelle did a good job with Olivia Twist.”
Flying Connection, winner of the Sunland Park Oaks (Listed) in her most recent start), had worked five furlongs in 1:01 on her own here on April 17 with Geroux aboard.
“She went very good this morning,” said Geroux, a two-time winner of the Oaks with Shedaresthedevil in 2020 and Monomoy Girl in 2018. “I've got two Oaks; now I need two Derbys.”
Geroux was the rider of elevated Derby winner Mandaloun in 2021. In Derby 149, he has the call on Jace's Road.
Fincher, who is based in New Mexico, said he is in Louisville to stay through the Oaks. He said that Flying Connection is penciled in for two or three paddock school sessions and one more trip at least to the starting gate.
GAMBLING GIRL – Repole Stable's Gambling Girl worked a half-mile in :50 in company with Julia Shining with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher.
“The plan was to give them an easy half and they were both in hand the whole time,” Pletcher said. “Very pleased.”
Runner-up in the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle (G3) in her most recent start, Gambling Girl will have a walk day Friday and return to the track Saturday.
MIMI KAKUSHI – Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Mimi Kakushi jogged a mile with the pony and then galloped a mile under Xavier Ziani.
Mimi Kakushi is scheduled to work a half-mile Saturday.
PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS – Godolphin representatives were on hand to witness the Rachel Alexandra (G2) winner Pretty Mischievous' final workout ahead of her run in the Oaks. Heading to the track at 7:30 a.m. with her Brendan Walsh barn stablemate, the 3-year-old colt Gilmore, Pretty Mischievous went four furlongs in :47.80. Tabbed to ride her in the Oaks, jockey Tyler Gaffalione was aboard.
“She galloped out in a minute flat,” trainer Walsh said. “And she was going easy too. She likes this track. She won her first two races here at Churchill Downs, and she ran third in the Golden Rod. Everything seems to be going smoothly enough. Hopefully she comes out of it good now and if we get a good week then we'll be all set.”
Walsh said the plan for Friday is to jog once around the track. Ahead of the Oaks, Pretty Mischievous will gallop each morning at her regular 7:30 a.m. time
SOUTHLAWN – Robert Masterson's Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Southlawn completed her major preparation for the Longines Kentucky Oaks with an easy half-mile move in :48.80 Thursday morning.
Trainer Norm Casse's exercise rider Joel Garcia was in the saddle for the work.
“It was a fairly easy move and nothing flashy,” Casse said. “She did most of her work last week. She's trained forwardly out of that move and we're ready to go.”
Jockey Rey Gutierrez will have the call in the Oaks.
WONDER WHEEL – D.J. Stable's Wonder Wheel breezed four furlongs in :47.20 Thursday morning during the 7:30 a.m. Derby and Oaks workout window. The Mark Casse-trainee posted the second fastest time of 66 Thoroughbreds who went that distance. It was jockey Joel Rosario's fist chance to acquaint himself with the 2-year-old champion filly ahead of piloting her in Friday's Kentucky Oaks.
“It went very well,” David Carroll, assistant to trainer Mark Casse, said. “She's a filly that's very deceptive. Joel thought he went 49 or 50 (seconds) on her but she went 47 and 1. We warned him that she will fool you so to be careful (not to ask too much of her). She loped to the pole and eased off from there, and I thought he had her switched off, but I looked down at the clock and saw she was rolling. She just covers a lot of ground. She switched to her right lead on cue. He didn't move on her. And he couldn't believe that she went that fast. But that's her. She cooled out in two minutes, hardly had to drink any water.”
Assuming the weather cooperates, Friday's plan is to get Wonder Wheel back to the track to jog two miles.
“Tomorrow we want to get her out to the track,” Carroll said. “She'll jog, get her out there and stretch her legs. We'll make sure everything is okay with her and keep her in her little routine. Then she'll gallop Saturday and Sunday and possibly have Monday off.”
ALSO-ELIGIBLE – Richard Bahde's Taxed (No. 15 on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard) walked the shedrow at trainer Randy Morse's barn a day after she worked worked a half-mile in :47.60.
Stonestreet Stables' Julia Shining (No. 16) worked a half-mile in :49.60 in company with stablemate Gambling Girl for trainer Todd Pletcher. Humberto Zamora was aboard.
Gold Standard Racing Stable's Hoosier Philly (No. 17) worked a half-mile in :48.40 for trainer Tom Amoss.
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY OAKS – Here are the horses (with trainers) that are qualified for the Longines Kentucky Oaks and those on the also-eligible list (in alphabetical order with AEs listed last in preference order):
Affirmative Lady (John Velazquez, Graham Motion); And Tell Me Nolies (Ramon Vazquez, Peter Miller); Botanical (Chris Landeros, Brad Cox); Defining Purpose (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Dorth Vader (TBA, Mike Yates); Flying Connection (Florent Geroux, Todd Fincher); Gambling Girl (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher); Mimi Kakushi (Mickael Barzelona, Salem bin Ghadayer); Pretty Mischievous (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh); Promiseher America (TBA, Ray Handal); Southlawn (Rey Gutierrez, Norm Casse); The Alys Look (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); and Wet Paint (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox); Wonder Wheel (Joel Rosario, Mark Casse).
Also-Eligible: Taxed (Rafael Bejarano, Randy Morse); Julia Shining (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Hoosier Philly (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss).
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