Punchbowl, who is perfect in her two career starts, both at Oaklawn Park, will step up to Grade 1 competition in the $600,000 Ashland Stakes (G1) for 3-year-old fillies April 7 at Keeneland, trainer Brad Cox said.
A homebred for Gary and Mary West, Punchbowl, after a tardy start, inhaled most of the field while sprinting in her Feb. 11 debut, then scored a wire-to-wire 4 ¼-length victory in first-level allowance race at 1 1/16 miles March 5.
The 1 1/16-mile Ashland will offer 200 points (100-40-30-20-10, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies.
Cox also trains Wet Paint, who was the program favorite for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Oaklawn. Wet Paint (70 points) has already secured a spot in the Kentucky Oaks after winning Oaklawn's Martha Washington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 28 and the Honeybee Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 25.
After considering the Ashland for Wet Paint, Cox opted to keep her at Oaklawn and send Punchbowl to the Ashland.
“Here's the way I looked at it: Wet Paint, she's 2 for 2 at Oaklawn, as the other horse is, too,” Cox said. “But it (Ashland) gives her more time. It's giving Punchbowl a little more time. Honestly, it was easy to figure out from a trainer's standpoint. Keeneland is a mile and a sixteenth, the Ashland. It's a shorter stretch. Doesn't mean a speed horse is going to win it, but I think you help yourself if you're able to at least get involved in the race. Wet Paint, obviously, doesn't have much speed out of the gate and it's a short stretch at Keeneland. Punchbowl has more early speed. It was actually easy to decide who really belonged where.”
Punchbowl, a daughter of Uncle Mo, will likely need a top-two finish in the Ashland to qualify for the Kentucky Oaks, which is limited to 14 starters.
“This is a very nice prospect for this year,” jockey Florent Geroux said after guiding Punchbowl to her March 5 victory. “We've always thought she could route. I was a little bit afraid of the inexperience. She had only run one time sprinting. I was not expecting her to be on the lead, my filly. When I asked her down the lane, she rebroke again. Very excited about her.”
Punchbowl, in company, worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 Friday morning at Oaklawn in preparation for the Ashland. Another locally based 3-year-old filly, Effortlesslyelgant, worked a half-mile in :50.80 Friday morning. Effortlesslyelgant, a March 19 allowance winner at 1 1/16 miles, is being considered for the Ashland, trainer Norm Casse said.
The post ‘Very Excited About Her’: Cox’s Two-Time Oaklawn Victress Punchbowl To Make Big Step Up In Ashland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
