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2023 Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Woodford Thoroughbreds

With the breeding season underway, the TDN staff is continuing the '2023 Mating Plans' series, presented by Spendthrift Farm, to find out what stallions breeders have chosen for their mares this year, and why. Here Woodford Thoroughbreds shares their plans for the breeding season.

As a commercial breeding farm, Woodford Thoroughbreds operates with two principals in mind when choosing our matings. 1) We are producing racehorses. In 2023, Woodford is the breeder of Mimi Kakushi (City of Light), a Group 3 winner on the Oaks trail; Rocket Can (Into Mischief), the winner of the GIII Holy Bull S. who was recently second in the GII Fountain of Youth S. on the Derby trail; SW Drew's Gold (Violence) and 'TDN Rising Star' Sunday Shoes (Pioneerof The Nile). 2) We are bringing a horse to the market that the buyer's bench is excited to purchase based on pedigree and conformation.

With these goals in mind, here are a few of the matings we have picked out for 2023.

HOT CASH (m, 8, Ghostzapper – Collect the Cash, by Dynaformer) and MESSAGE (m, 7, Warrior's Reward – Song'n Dance, by Carson City) to be bred to Flightline.

When you are playing at the upper level, you have to breed to a horse like Flightline although it goes against two of our basic rules. First, he's very expensive at $200,000 which means the fall could be steep if the resulting foal doesn't hit the commercial mark. Second, we are breeding two young mares to him when we would rather breed to a more established horse.

However, we think Grade III-placed Hot Cash will benefit from Flightline's leg and scope. The mare has also already proven her first two efforts, a Curlin filly and Quality Road filly, to be standouts.

Woodford only purchased Message at Keeneland this past November. She was wicked quick on the racetrack, but she's also a scopey mare with a lot of length, leg, power and class to her. We think she'll fit the stallion nicely in a like-to-like way. Her first foal by Charlatan was born in January and he's an exceptional package already.

LASKARINA (m, 9, Distorted Humor – General Jeanne, by Honour and Glory) to be bred to Tapit.

This is really a no-brainer breeding. Besides being by a top broodmare sire, she's a half-sister to the prolific producer Justwhistledixie (Dixie Union), the dam of three sons of Tapit–multiple Grade II winner Mohaymen, Grade III winner Kingly and Grade III winner Enforceable. Laskarina's best-looking individual so far is a Tapit filly that Woodford sold at Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga in 2022. We don't mind going back to the well.

MACHA (m, 13, Majestic Warrior – Giant Leap, by Giant's Causeway) to be bred to Good Magic.

This mare who finished third in the GII Honeymoon H. as a 3-year-old has produced a stakes winner. We also hear some great things about her 3-year-old Dime (Curlin), but that filly has yet to make a start. We're still hopeful!

Her 2-year-old was purchased from the 2022 Keeneland September Sale by Amy Moore, who is the breeder of champion 2-year-old colt and leading Kentucky Derby favorite Forte (Violence). We know the filly now named Wayward (Into Mischief) will get a great start with Amy.

We have been terribly impressed by Good Magic's start to stud and think he's great value. He has better numbers than some other higher-priced horses that started his same year at stud.

PROJECT WHISKEY (m, 6, Tapizar – Over the Moon, by Malibu Moon) to be bred to Uncle Mo.

You can't look at this mare without the thought “pretty” crossing your mind. She's a beautiful mare that won the GIII Delaware Oaks as a 3-year-old and the Parx Juvenile Fillies S. as a 2-year-old. We love that she had speed and class early on.

Uncle Mo is a horse that consistently gets a top racehorse prospect and we think he is ready for another upswing in the market. At $150,000 he's expensive, but he gets you that Saturday afternoon horse and that's what we're looking for. The cross of Uncle Mo with the A.P. Indy line is a strong one.

MAEVE THE BRAVE (IRE) (m, 4, Invincible Spirit {Ire} – Liscune {Ire}, by King's Best) to be bred to Oscar Performance.

You may be wondering how we acquired this particular broodmare. In 2019, Woodford purchased five weanlings at Tattersalls. We re-sold three, retained one who is a stakes winner still running in the U.K. and brought this filly to the U.S. She was bought for nearly $600,000 U.S. dollars, being a full-sister to three black-type horses including Music Box (IRE), whose race earnings total $1.19 million.

Oscar Performance was the clear choice when looking at the stallions standing in Kentucky who are unequivocally grass horses.

LUCY N ETHEL (m, 10, During – Kid Silver, by Silver Ghost) to be bred to Life Is Good.

“Lucy” has one of the strongest race records in our broodmare band having won the GII Prioress S. at Saratoga and the GIII Old Hat S. at Gulfstream Park. She bankrolled nearly $400,000 on the track and she is an athletic and supremely balanced mare.

Lucy gave us a beautiful foal right off the bat, a Quality Road filly that brought $600,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Lucy is currently pregnant to Into Mischief. Breeding to his son Life Is Good will be the same cross.

We're excited to be breeding to Life Is Good. His speed was his weapon and he was much the best when winning the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as a 3-year-old. He continued his winning ways with three Grade I races at four.

VIVA VEGAS (m, 9, The Factor – Viva Vega, by Cobra King) to be bred to Munnings.

The Factor is one of those conundrums where he has the ability to get a quality racehorse, but his commercial appeal is underrated. Viva Vegas is a big, scopey mare and you can imagine how lovely she is knowing she brought $190,000 at OBS as a short yearling. On the racetrack she won a stakes race and is multiple graded stakes placed.

Munnings will make a nice physical compliment, giving her a little substance and some additional speed. He also has a liking for the turf which will benefit this mare's sire line.

Cedar Hall will visit Woodford-bred Independence Hall in 2023 | photo courtesy Woodford Thoroughbreds

DON'T LEAVE ME (m, 11, Lemon Drop Kid – See How She Runs, by Maria's Mon) to be bred to Not This Time.

Don't Leave Me is a multiple Grade III winner and is out of a Grade I-winning dam. Woodford is proud to have purchased this mare out of the Pin Oak Dispersal in 2021 carrying an Authentic colt and she's currently pregnant to Into Mischief. We were very impressed with the year Not This Time had in 2022 and when looking for proven stallions, he has become a standout. We think he'll be a nice physical match for the mare.

CEDAR HALL (m, 6, Bayern – Dahteste, by Majestic Warrior) to be bred to Independence Hall.

In hindsight, Cedar Hall might have been a value play, being stakes placed, when we purchased her pregnant to Volatile for $95,000 in 2021. She probably would have brought twice that this past November! This is a really pretty mare and we actually purchased her with the purpose of breeding her to Independence Hall.

Woodford bred Independence Hall, sold him as a yearling, bought back into him during his race career and now owns a considerable number of shares in the horse, which means we will support him. His first crop of foals are hitting the ground now and from photos we have seen, they look to be very racey individuals.

RITE MOMENT (m, 19, Vicar – Moments of Joy, by Lost Code) to be bred to City of Light.

Rite Moment is one of the oldest and most proven mares in the band. She herself was a multiple Grade II winner and has produced two previous black-type horses, but her standout produce is current graded stakes winner Mimi Kakushi (City of Light). Mimi Kakushi won a stakes race and then followed that up with a win in the G3 U.A.E. Oaks. She is potentially being pointed to the GI Kentucky Oaks. It only makes sense to go back to the well and should the mare have a filly, we'll likely retain her as a broodmare prospect.

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Letter to the Editor: Nonsense

On March 9, Thoroughbred Daily News published a letter to the editor that lambasted the Thoroughbred industry's media as biased while hiding his or her identity under the cloak of anonymity.

To which I answer without anonymity, nonsense.

I don't really know the motivation of this anonymous toxic waste, although it fits into the pattern of blaming the media for just about everything that goes wrong in an industry or a society, whether characterized as “fake news” or not. The anonymous writer must have some beef with the industry and decided to turn to media bashing.

I covered my first horse race in 1978; I have worked for a major U.S. newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer; and I have been an editor or contributor to Thoroughbred publications, namely the Thoroughbred Record and Thoroughbred Times.

The motivation of most all the journalists I've encountered in that time, which probably number in the thousands, was to get the story and get it right. That means telling both sides of the story. True, I have seen instances where the text may have been influenced by a losing bet, and industry members have at times tried unsuccessfully to throw their weight around in publications.

But those instances are exceedingly rare. To say that these journalists are “dishonest,” to use the word of the anonymous coward, borders on libel. To take the Thoroughbred Daily News as an example, I have known Bill Finley since the early 1980s and have always—always—found him to be honest and dogged in getting the information correctly.

I read T. D. Thornton to help me understand complex topics, and I trust his reporting. I've known TDN Publisher Sue Finley for more than 40 years, and I can attest that her motivation is to present the news in an honest, accurate, and balanced publication.

They and others whose bylines appear in industry publications are not motivated by clickbait or negativity or fearmongering, to again dip into the anonymous writer's bucket by bile.

If you are not accurate, honest, and balanced in your reporting and writing, you fail. Period.

These writers have not failed; some industry members may not like what they write, but you can't please the biased individuals who turn to the anonymous poison pen to spew their grievances. Based on the last paragraph, a rambling dissertation about training champions and, well, I am not sure what, I can't figure out what the grievance is.

The anonymous writer ends with the exhortation or command to “Be better.” From the perspective of almost 58 years in journalism, my experience has been that writers and editors get up each morning determined to be honest, accurate, and balanced in their work and thus to be better day by day.

Don Clippinger, an Eclipse Award winner, was editor of Thoroughbred Record and editorial director of Thoroughbred Times until his retirement in 2009.

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Gabapentin: What Is It?

The news last week that leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has been suspended for 15 days and fined $500 by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission—pending appeal—after one of his trainees tested positive for the substance gabapentin after winning a graded stake at Presque Isle Downs last September, led to a collective head scratch.

What exactly is gabapentin?

“It is a drug that is used as an anti-convulsant in people. It is also used for neurotrophic pain—in other words, pain originating from nerves,” said former California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) director, Rick Arthur. “For example, if you have shingles, they're likely to put you on gabapentin.”

According to the government run MedlinePlus website, gabapentin is commonly prescribed to help control certain types of seizures in people who have epilepsy, and works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain.

Common gabapentin medications include Horizant, Gralise, and Neurontin.

Its use in human medicine has increased as an alternative pain relief to highly addictive opioids, said Arthur. But “frankly, it is not very effective,” he added, of the orally administered drug.

Gabapentin is a Class 3, penalty category B drug according to the Association of Racing Commissioners International, meaning it is deemed to have certain uses in racehorses.

Under the Horse Racing and Integrity Act's (HISA) impending anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program, gabapentin is listed as a category B controlled substance. This means it is permitted for use in certain windows.

When HISA's ADMC goes into effect on March 27, a first-time gabapentin positive comes with a possible 15-day suspension, a fine of up to $1,000, and automatic disqualification of the race-day results.

According to HISA's chief of science, Mary Scollay, because gabapentin is listed in the HISA technical document as an anti-convulsant, “I expect there could be successful legal argument that it's not an analgesic.”

So, for what kinds of issues can gabapentin be used to treat in horses?

“It was advocated about 10, 15 years ago as a way to treat navicular disease,” Arthur said. “But that kind of fell apart as it didn't work.”

It is also used to treat lameness in horses, “but more as a desperation move when they don't know what it is,” he added.

Because of its use as an anti-anxiety medication in humans, some say it has the same potential off-label use for horses, too.

Neither Southern California-based private veterinarian, Ryan Carpenter, nor current CHRB equine medical director, Jeff Blea, are aware of gabapentin being used as a calming agent in racehorses. Though Blea admitted that it could have that effect.

According to the CHRB's stewards rulings webpage, there have been roughly 18 individual gabapentin positives in California since 2005.

“For the most part, they were normally cases where the humans associated with the horse were on gabapentin,” said Arthur, explaining how most cases were ruled instances of environmental contamination.

“We have no idea how the transfer occurs. We were suspicious that it was secondary contamination from someone urinating in the stall but we never confirmed that,” he said.

In one instance, an off-track veterinarian had prescribed gabapentin to a dog that was brought to the barn, said Arthur.

“We assumed it was from urine,” said Arthur, when asked about how the transfer was made. “Why someone would let a dog urinate in the stall I don't know.

While the relationship between a person or an animal prescribed gabapentin and a positive finding in a horse is clear “in most cases,” said Arthur, “there were a number of instances where there was no explanation for it other than the horse being administered gabapentin.”

According to Arthur, if the reported finding shows gabapentin at nanograms in the low single digits, that is typically an indication of environmental contamination.

“If it's up over 15, 20 nanograms, I would expect that to be an intentional administration,” said Arthur. “We had one case around 100 nanograms, which would be impossible to explain by accidental contamination.”

The Pennsylvania Racing Commission did not publish the amount at which gabapentin was found in Artie's Princess's (We Miss Artie) post-race sample. However, Joseph told the TDN last week that the horse tested positive at a level that should be considered below the recognized threshold level.

Joseph also told the TDN that the horse was tested 24 hours before the race by the same laboratory. “The horse was negative and was then positive the next day when no vet treated her. How is that possible? The proof is in the pudding,” said Joseph.

According to Arthur, “you would not expect this drug to work for more than 12 to 24 hours in any sense as an analgesic or pain reducing medication.”

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Kentucky Oaks Top 10: Strange Year Continues

It continues to be a strange year on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. It's been a division where no one seemed ready to step to the front and become a clear leader of the group. That, sort of, changed Sunday in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Sunday at Santa Anita. Faiza (Girvin) stayed undefeated in four starts with a 2 1/4-length win and, under normal circumstances, would have gone to No. 1 on this list. But the filly, who is trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Michael Lund Petersen, was not nominated to the Oaks and is not eligible to run because she stayed in the Baffert barn beyond the deadline for his horses to move to other trainers to be eligible for Oaks points.

Perhaps someone would emerge from the GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream, which included two horses that had been in our Top 10 in Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance) and Leave No Trace (Outwork). Red Carpet Ready was a well-beaten third and Leave No Trace was eased. The winner was an impossible longshot, 46-1 shot Dorth Vader (Girvin) .

The bottom-line? With nine weeks to go, the division is in disarray and the Kentucky Oaks is anyone's race.

1) WONDER WHEEL (f, Into Mischief–Wonder Gal, by Tiz Wonderful) O-D. J. Stable LLC. B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC & Clearsky Farm (Ky). T-Mark Casse. Sales history: $275,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly & MGISW, 6-4-2-0, $1,570,725. Last Start: 2nd Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 11. Kentucky Oaks Points: 48.

Despite the loss at 1-2 in her 3-year-old debut in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, Wonder Wheel's connections remain high on their filly.

“As far as her training, she's been breezing and training outstandingly well,” said Jon Green, the general manager of DJ Stable. “That race at Tampa really tightened her up. It served exactly the purpose we wanted. We would have liked to have won, but the main goal was to get her sea legs back under her and make it to the [GI Apr. 7] Ashland and the Oaks will be next on the agenda.”

Green said Wonder Wheel will be transferred from trainer Mark Casse's training center to Keeneland about two weeks before the Ashland.

“That's her home track,” he said. “She loves racing and training there. She will remain there after the Ashland right up until the Oaks.”

In most any other year, the loss in the Suncoast would have knocked her out of the top spot, but with no one else among the top contenders stepping up so far this year, she remains our No. 1 and she is the morning line favorite at 8-1 in the Oaks Future Wager.

2) HOOSIER PHILLY (f, Into Mischief–Tapella, by Tapit) O-Gold Standard Racing Stable, LLC. B-Candy Meadows, LLC (Ky). T-Thomas Amoss. Sales history: $510,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-1, $462,610. Last Start: 3rd GII Rachel Alexandra S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 18. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25.

It's still hard to know what to make of her third-place finish in the Rachel Alexandra S., presented by Fasig-Tipton. She looked nothing like the filly who was so electrifying when going 3-for-3 as a 2-year-old. If she repeats her effort from the Rachel Alexandra in her next start, she can't be considered a serious threat in the Oaks. But if she runs back to her 2-year-old form, she'll likely be the favorite and the horse to beat. She returned to the work tab Mar. 2, breezing four furlongs in :47.60 at the Fair Grounds. She's 15-1 in the Oaks Future Wager. It's way too early to give up on her.

3) PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS (f, Into Mischief–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit) 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Godolphin (Ky). T-Brendan P. Walsh. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-4-0-1, $421,310. Last Start: Won GII Rachel Alexandra S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 18. Kentucky Oaks Points: 63.

Moves up three spots in our poll, but only because there have been so many defections. Off her win in the GII Rachel Alexandra S., Pretty Mischievous belongs near the top of the list. But she's going to have to prove that she can do it again as she posted the upset that day at odds of 8-1. Her lone defeat came in the GII Golden Rod S. last fall at Churchill Downs, where she finished third, 5 1/4 lengths behind Hoosier Philly. She has been ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, who also has the mount on Wonder Wheel, so trainer Brendan Walsh may need a new jockey when she makes her next start in either the Ashland or Mar. 25 GII Fair Grounds Oaks.

4) JULIA SHINING (f, Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Stonestreet Stables LLC. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-1, $204,075. Last Start: 3rd Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 11. Kentucky Oaks Points: 16.

With Julia Shining, it's more about what she might be able to do than what she has done. She did win the GII Demoiselle S. last year, but she didn't have a lot of punch when third in the Suncoast S., earning an 81 Beyer figure. That was an 11-point improvement over the figure she got in the Demoiselle. She's by Curlin and is a full-sister to last year's champion older filly Malathaat, all of which suggests she will keep getting better and better. Trainer Todd Pletcher has been going easy on her in the mornings. Her most recent work came Mar. 2 at Palm Beach Downs, where she went a half-mile in :51.68 ahead of an expected next start in the Ashland.

5) AND TELL ME NOLIES (f, Arrogate–Be Fair, by Exchange Rate) O-Peter Redekop B.C., Ltd. B-Lara Run, LLC (Ky). T-Peter Miller. Sales history: $70,000 yrl '21 KEEJAN; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-3-1-0, $392,800. Last Start: Second in GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita Mar. 5. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30.

And Tell Me Nolies returned to the races in the Santa Ysabel after an eighth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and ran well enough to crack the Top 5. She was second, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Faiza, but with Faiza skipping the Oaks an argument can be made that And Tell Me Nolies is the top threat in the race among Southern California-based horses. She proved her class last year with wins in the GI Del Mar Debutante and the GII Chandelier S. for trainer Peter Miller. Like several other top Oaks candidates, she's just not that fast. The 78 Beyer she earned in the Santa Ysabel was the best number of her career. She is expected to make her next start in the Apr. 8 GII Santa Anita Oaks.

6) THE ALYS LOOK (f, Connect–Foul Play, by Harlan's Holiday) O-Ike & Dawn Thrash. B-G. Watts Humphrey (Ky). T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $60,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-2-1-1, $150,528. Last Start: Won Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds Jan. 21. Kentucky Oaks Points: 24.

The Alys Look may be the best of the four or five horses Brad Cox has in the conversation for the Oaks. Purchased for just $60,000 at Keeneland September, she will have had more than two months off when she makes her next expected start in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 25. When last seen, she won the Silverbulletday S., presented by Fasig-Tipton Jan. 21 at the Fair Grounds. It's worth noting that in her prior start she was second behind Pretty Mischievous in the Untapable S. She was dismal in her lone start at Churchill, losing a maiden race by 15 3/4 lengths, but the race was in the slop. She breezed five furlongs in 1:00.20 last Saturday at the Fair Grounds.

7) WET PAINT (f, Blame–Sky Painter, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-Godolphin (Ky). T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-1-0, $334,100. Last Start: Won GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Feb. 25. Kentucky Oaks Points: 70.

Wet Paint is the overall Kentucky Oaks points leader. Another horse from the Cox barn, she's on a roll. After winning the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn, she looked good winning the GIII Honeybee S. by three lengths Feb. 25 at Oaklawn.

“She improved yesterday,” Cox said after the Honeybee. “Had to pass more fillies and won going away. Very impressive with the gallop out. A mile and an eighth, with her pedigree, is something she should be able to handle. We'll see how it goes.”

Wet Paint has lost on the grass and on the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park, but is 3-for-3 on the dirt. She hasn't been beating world-beaters, but has a nice late kick and being in the Cox barn is an obvious plus. She is expected to start next in the Ashland.

8) SHIDABHUTI (f, Practical Joke–A. P. Candy, by Candy Ride {Arg}) O-Peter Brant. B-Gabriel Duignan & Gerry Dilger (Ky). T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $77,000 wnlg '20 KEENOV; $310,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-3-0-0, $189,600. Last Start: Won Busher S. at Aqueduct Mar. 4. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50.

Shidabhuti is an interesting newcomer to the list from the Chad Brown barn. She broke her maiden at Monmouth in September and then came back to win an allowance race in December at Aqueduct. The knock on her coming into the Mar. 4 Busher Invitational S. at Aqueduct was her numbers. She had run a pair of 62 Beyers in her first two starts, way too slow to win a race like the Oaks. But she passed the test in the Busher, staying undefeated after beating stablemate and race favorite Asset Purchase (Dialed In). Brown and owner Peter Brant are best known for their turf horses, but in Shidabhuti they may have a dirt runner to be reckoned with. She is expected to make her next start in the Apr. 7 GIII Gazelle S.

9) DREAMING OF SNOW (f, Jess's Dream–Snow Fashion, by Old Fashioned) O-Team Equistaff, LLC & Winning Stables, Inc. B-Karyn Philipp (FL). T-Gerald Bennett. Sales history: $35,000 yrl '21 OBSOCT; $60,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-3-0-0, $170,850. Last Start: Won Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Feb. 11. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20.

The key race this year so far on the road to the Oaks? You can make a case that it was the Jan. 14 Gasparilla S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Dreaming of Snow finished fourth in that spot and came back to win the Suncoast over Wonder Wheel at 38-1. Dorth Vader finished sixth in the Gasparilla and came back to win the Davona Dale at 46-1.

Dreaming of Snow's win in the Suncoast was a shocker, pulled off by trainer Gerald Bennett, mainly known as a claiming trainer. Was it a fluke or is she for real? We'll find out in her next start, which is expected to be in the Apr. 1 GIII Fantasy S.

10) BOTANICAL (f, Medaglia d'Oro–Daisy, by Blame) O-LNJ Foxwoods & Clearsky Farms. B-Clearsky Farms & Godolphin (Ky). T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $220,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-3-1-0, $196,610. Last Start: Won Cincinnati Trophy S. at Turfway Mar. 4. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20.

Botanical is a tough read. She's won three straight, including a blowout 6 1/2-length win in the Cincinnati Trophy S. at Turfway. The problem is that she has never run on the dirt, having had three races on the synthetic and two more on the turf. Can she transfer that form to the dirt? It's anybody's guess. Cox reports that she will stay on the synthetic for her next start when she goes in Turfway's Mar. 25 Bourbonette Oaks, but said he does consider her a Kentucky Oaks prospect.

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