Fair Grounds, Sunland Park Oaks headline weekend’s Kentucky Oaks action

Mar 23, 2018 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks continues on Saturday and Sunday with a pair of contests offering points toward a starting berth in the May 4 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.

First up on Saturday is the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks, which is the first of six in the series worth 100-40-20-10 points. A field of nine is entered in the 1 1/16-mile affair, including the second- through sixth-place finishers from the local prep, the February 17 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2).

Classy Act was second best in that contest but highlights this field for trainer Bret Calhoun. The dark bay daughter of Into Mischief tried to wire the Rachel Alexandra but was caught in upper stretch and forced to settle for second while making her stakes bow. That broke a two-race win streak Classy Act was riding, and she’ll attempt to get back on the winning track under returning jockey Javier Castellano here.

Grade 2 heroine Wonder Gadot was 1 1/4 lengths behind Classy Act in third in the Rachel Alexandra. It was the second start of the year for the Mark Casse-trained sophomore, who opened 2018 with a neck runner-up effort in the Silverbulletday Stakes, also at Fair Grounds. The Medaglia d’Oro miss closed out her juvenile campaign with an easy win in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) going the Kentucky Oaks distance of nine furlongs at Aqueduct. John Velazquez retains the mount.

Patrona Margarita finished fourth in the Rachel Alexandra while making her seasonal bow off a five-month break. The Calhoun pupil ended 2017 with an easy 3 3/4-length score in Churchill’s Pocahontas Stakes (G2) in mid-September. Brian Hernandez Jr. stays in the saddle.

Testing One Two and She’s a Julie ran fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Rachel Alexandra. The former brought a three-race win streak into that contest, scoring by a total of 26 3/4 lengths while breaking her maiden and taking a pair of stakes all at Delta Downs. She’s a Julie finished third behind Classy Act in an allowance/optional claimer prior to the Rachel Alexandra. Diego Saenz has the call on Testing One Two while Corey Lanerie rides She’s a Julie.

Eskimo Kisses tries stakes rivals for the first time here off an 11-length allowance/optional claiming victory over Oaklawn Park’s sloppy, sealed track. Florent Geroux takes back the mount. Chocolate Martini upset an allowance/optional claimer at Fair Grounds on February 18 making her first start for new trainer Tom Amoss off the claim. The Broken Vow filly gets Mitchell Murrill holding the reins.

Completing the Fair Grounds Oaks field are Saguaro Row and America’s Tale, both beaten double-digit lengths in their last races.

Sunday will see five sophomore fillies line up in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks in New Mexico. The 1 1/16-mile contest is worth 50-20-10-5 points to the top four finishers for the Kentucky Oaks.

Blamed is the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the Sunland Park Oaks thanks to a 6 1/2-length, gate-to-wire win in the Island Fashion Stakes going a mile over the track on February 25. That was the fourth straight score by the Blame filly, all of them wire jobs while pulling away. Trainer Joel Marr has tabbed regular rider Ken Tohill to be in the saddle.

Kram tried to go with Blamed in the Island Fashion, but was no match that day and forced to settle for second under returning jockey Roimes Chirinos. The Todd Fincher trainee opened her career with a 5 1/4-length maiden debut win and a 6 3/4-length victory in the Permian Basin Stakes, both going wire-to-wire at Zia Park. The bay daughter of Colonel John handed Blamed her only defeat in that maiden win, but was no factor when lining back up against her rival in her past two.

Charge Back and Bella Be Ready are both exiting wins, the former in an allowance at Sam Houston and the latter against maidens at Sunland. Those wins netted the duo identical 81 BRIS Speed ratings. Ricardo Santana Jr. and Luis Contreras are their respective riders on Sunday.

Exotic Beauty, well-beaten in her last pair, rounds out the Sunland Park Oaks and will break from the outside post.