Hidden Connection faces deep cast in Rachel Alexandra return

Feb 14, 2022 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Hidden Connection, a dominating winner of her first two starts before
turning in sub-par effort in the Breeders' Cup last fall, is among a large cast
assembled for Saturday's $300,000 Rachel Alexandra S. (G2) at Fair Grounds for
three-year-old fillies.

The 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra is the first Road to the Kentucky Oaks prep
this year that will offer qualifying Oaks qualifying points of 50-20-10-5 to the
respective top four finishers, with victory tantamount to earning an automatic
bid to the May 6 showcase at Churchill Downs.

Hidden Connection crushed maiden foes at Colonial Downs in her debut, and
then captured the Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs by open lengths. However,
she didn't show the same form in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del
Mar, finishing a distant fourth to Echo Zulu.

'We’ve targeted this race for a long time and I think she is ready for it,' trainer Bret Calhoun said. 'I can’t say that I got her dialed in 100 percent for this race, wouldn’t really expect to. It’s a long year but her best work was her last one. She seems to be going into it the right way.'

The race's namesake was campaigned by Stonestreet Stables and trainer Steve
Asmussen, who aim to have La Crete improve her record to 3-for-3
following a maiden win at Churchill and a gutsy score in last month's
Silverbulletday S. La Crete set the pace in the Silverbulletday, and then
re-rallied inside Fannie and Freddie after conceding the lead in deep stretch.

Another unbeaten filly is North County, who captured Fair Grounds'
first Oaks prep on Dec. 26 when taking the Untapable S. by a neck over Fannie
and Freddie. Also making her season debut is Dream Lith, who posted a 9-1
upset of the Golden Rod (G2) in late November while adding blinkers.

Awake At Midnyte is a dangerous-looking California shipper for Doug
O'Neill. The versatile Nyquist filly has narrowly missed in both prior stakes
appearances in the Jimmy Durante (G3) on turf and Santa Ynez (G2) over seven
furlongs. California Angel, upset winner of the Jessamine (G2) on grass
in October, will give the dirt one more try after trailing the field in the
Untapable. She'll be equipped with blinkers again after racing without them last
time.

A couple high-profile stables will have longer shots in the field. The Brad
Cox-trained Turnerloose, a stakes winner at Kentucky Downs and third in
the Jessamine last fall, tries dirt for the first time Saturday, while the Todd
Pletcher-trained Goddess of Fire enters off a second in the Gasparilla S.
at Tampa Bay Downs.

One stakes newcomer to watch for is Divine Huntress, who dominated
overnight company at Parx in her last two starts.

Post time for the Rachel Alexandra is 6:27 p.m. ET. It can be watched and
wagered on at
TwinSpires.com.