Wet Paint faces new challengers, familiar foes in Honeybee

The Honeybee is a stepping stone to Oaklawn’s premier event for three-year-old fillies, the Apr. 1 Fantasy (G3), just as Saturday’s Rebel (G2) builds to the Arkansas Derby (G1). Trainer Brad Cox could turn a double with Wet Paint and his Rebel duo, Verifying and Giant Mischief.

Here are three talking points for the Honeybee:

1. Wet Paint’s new challengers include talented shippers Gambling Girl and Grand Love.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Gambling Girl is battle-tested from Aqueduct stakes in her native New York. A close third to stablemate Julia Shining in the sloppy Demoiselle (G2), the Repole Stable colorbearer was second to daylight winner Occult in the Busanda S. The cutback from 1 1/8 miles could help her cause.

Grand Love was last seen tiring to sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Considering that she had finished a disappointing third in the Pocahontas (G3) in her stakes debut, it’s noteworthy that Steve Asmussen advanced to the Breeders’ Cup. That suggests his high regard for Grand Love, a Gun Runner filly who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Malibu Prayer and millionaire Valid. 

2. The top five from the Martha Washington renew rivalry, potentially over another wet track. 

Wet Paint was a convincing winner of the Martha Washington, overtaking the entire field to win handily in her first stakes attempt. The respective second through fifth – Taxed, even-money favorite Defining Purpose, Take Charge Briana, and hitherto unbeaten Olivia Twist – will try again.

Her re-opposing rivals might wonder whether the wet-fast track moved Wet Paint up last time; after all, the Godolphin homebred had broken her maiden in the slop at Horseshoe Indianapolis. But Saturday’s forecast suggests that Wet Paint could get similar conditions in the Honeybee.

Of her familiar foes, Defining Purpose arguably has the most logical case to rebound. The Ken McPeek pupil was wheeling back from a career-best romp in the Year’s End S., and she might have just regressed. Defining Purpose has alternated big efforts with losses, so if the pattern holds, she’ll run very well. Olivia Twist is also better than she showed last time, but her past races all came at Remington Park, and she must prove herself elsewhere.

3. Three recent Oaklawn winners are venturing onto the Oaks trail for the first time.

Towhead, who had held her own in good company on turf, has won two straight on dirt for Mike Maker. A front-running winner at Churchill Downs, Towhead stalked and pounced impressively here last time out. Condensation, second in a Dec. 26 Fair Grounds sprint stakes to Dazzling Blue, stretched out successfully to wire an allowance in the Oaklawn mud. Effortlesslyelegant ran her rivals off their feet in a six-furlong maiden, also on this muddy track, and now takes a class and distance hike.