LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 1, 2001) -- Two daughters of 1977 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew --VHW Stable's Fleet Renee and Juddmonte Farm's Flute -- head a field of 14 of America's finest 3-year-old fillies entered for Friday's 127th running of the $500,000-added, Grade I Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Known for years as the "Kentucky Derby for fillies," the 1 1/8-mile Oaks was modeled after England's famed Epsom Oaks and its first running, won by Vinaigrette, was held in 1875 on the grounds of what was then known as the Kentucky Jockey Club. The race, like the Kentucky Derby, has been run each year since then and has grown into one of the nation's most prominent races for 3-year-old fillies. A record crowd of 106,156 -- the second-largest attendance figure in American racing, trailing only the Derby -- watched the 2000 renewal won by William S. Farish, James Elkins, and W. Temple Webber, Jr.'s Secret Status.
Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia has installed Fleet Renee, the Michael Dickinson-trained upset winner of the Ashland Stakes (Grade I) at Keeneland, as the 5-2 morning line favorite. Flute, runner-up to the highly-regarded Golden Ballet in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI) for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, is listed as the 3-1 second choice.
One man who disagrees with Battaglia's assessment is Dickinson, whose training feats include an upset win by Da Hoss in the Breeders' Cup Mile (GI) at Churchill Downs in 1998.
"We're not going to be the favorite," Dickinson said. "Flute's going to be the favorite. My handicapper friends tell me that Flute will go off as the favorite."
Which is not to say that Dickinson believes that Flute will beat Fleet Renee, who upset Golden Ballet to win the
Ashland Stakes in her final prep for the Oaks. She is a product of the mare Darien Miss, who won the Louisville Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs in 1989, and Dickinson said Fleet Renee has improved since her Ashland win.
"She's going to run the best race she's ever run," he said. "This was always our target from last December and it's one of the rare times when everything goes right. So she's spot-on at the moment, but she's going to have to run the best race she's ever run. This is a very tough bunch of fillies."
Fleet Renee is 4-1-0 in five starts -- including a 3-0 slate this year -- with earnings of $450,125. She drew post position six and will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Frankel, who won the Kentucky Oaks in 1998 with Keeper Hill, believes the lightly-raced Flute is among the finest of her gender that he has trained. There was some post draw morning drama for Frankel as it appeared for a while that Flute would not make the 14-horse Oaks field after trainer Mark Hennig decided to enter Edward Evans' Raging Fever in the race. The Oaks is limited to 14 horses with preference to horses based on career earnings -- and Hennig's move momentarily placed Frankel and Flute on the outside looking in as the filly ranked 15th in earnings among Oaks contenders. But the Juddmonte filly found a spot in the starting gate when trainer Gene Cilio decided against entering James Tafel's Scoop, winner of the National Jockey Club Oaks at Sportsman's Park, in the race.
"When I first got to the track this morning I didn't think we were going to get in," Frankel said. "I've been planning on this race and counting on it. She's good enough and she couldn't look any better and couldn't train any better."
Flute is 1-2-0 with earnings of $96,200. She drew post ten and will be ridden by Jerry Bailey, who won the 1993 Oaks aboard Ogden Mills Phipps' Dispute.
Golden Ballet returned to California after her loss to Fleet Renee in the Ashland, and 2000 juvenile filly champion Caressing was knocked off the Oaks trail early in the year by a fever and will run at Churchill Downs on Thursday in the $100,000-added La Troienne (GIII). But virtually every other major 3-year-old filly in the land has made it to the Oaks -- including three from Hennig. Along with Raging Fever, Hennig will saddle Lee Lewis' Mystic Lady, winner of the Fantasy (GI) at Oaklawn Park, and Evans' Tap Dance, winner of the Bonnie Miss (GII) at Gulfstream Park. Raging Fever and Tap Dance will race as a single wagering interest because of common ownership.
The Evans-trained entry is listed at 6-1 in the morning line, while Mystic Lady is an 8-1 risk. Raging Fever, winner of the Frizette (GI) and Matron (GI) at two, will break from post seven will be ridden by Aaron Gryder. Tap Dance will be ridden from post seven by Gary Stevens, who rode Silverbulletday (1998) and Tiffany Lass ('86) to Oaks victories. Eibar Coa will ride Mystic Lady from post five.
The Oaks field also includes Robert and Lawana Low's Fair Grounds Oaks (GIII) winner Real Cozzy, who was supplemented to the field at a cost of $25,000. Trainer Dan Peitz waited until Tuesday morning to make a final decision on running the daughter of Cozzene, who suffered her first defeat in four career races in a dismal ninth-place
finish in the Fantasy (GI). The filly worked Sunday morning under jockey Larry Melancon and Peitz liked what he saw when Real Cozzy returned to the track for a gallop on Tuesday, so he decided to pay the supplemental entry fee and take a shot at the Kentucky Oaks.
"She's happy and I think she's sitting on a good race," Peitz said. "If she can run back to her Fair Grounds race, I think she'll be right there."
The Oaks field also contains such stars as Florida Oaks (GIII) winner Quick Tip, who will try to win a second
consecutive running of the Oaks for owner/breeder William S. Farish and trainer Neil Howard; Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Latour, winner of the Davona Dale (GII) at Gulfstream Park; M375 Thoroughbreds' Platinum Tiara, runner-up
in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Churchill Downs; and Sam-Son Farm's Dancethruthedawn, a regally-bred daughter of Mr. Prospector out of Canadian "Horse of the Year" Dance Smartly, the winner of the 1991 Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) at Churchill Downs.
All fillies in the Kentucky Oaks carry 121 pounds.
The field for the 127 running of the Oaks, in order of post position, includes: Dancethruthedawn, Robby Albarado; Collect Call, Alex Solis; Quick Tip, Eddie Delahoussaye; Platinum Tiara, Corey Nakatani; Mystic Lady, Coa; Fleet Renee, Velazquez; Raging Fever, Gryder; Tap Dance, Stevens; Mysia Jo, Calvin Borel; Flute, Bailey; Nasty Storm, Pat Day; Real Cozzy, Melancon; Morning Sun, Eddie Martin, Jr.; and Latour, Jorge Chavez.
The Kentucky Oaks is scheduled as the ninth of 10 races on a star-studded race card. The race will be televised nationally by ESPN.
CDSN » Churchill Downs Simulcast Network » 
