Steve Asmussen Declared Lake Lady Out Of Consideration For The Oaks

LAKE LADY OUT OF KENTUCKY OAKS - Trainer Steve Asmussen has declared Coast To Coast Racing Fun's Lake Lady out of consideration for the Kentucky Oaks (GI) on May 3. Asmussen said he has not been able to pinpoint a specific problem, but the daughter of Salt Lake did not come out of a Monday work as well as he had hoped and she will be given some time off.

"She's not a hundred percent," said Asmussen. "I didn't think she came out of the work 100 percent and this is absolutely not a group of horses (in the Oaks) that you can play with, so it's just not going to be her day."

Asmussen said that Lake Lady was examined at Churchill Downs and then was shipped to Rood & Riddle equine clinic in Lexington, Ky. for a thorough examination, but no obvious problem surfaced.

"We took a bunch of X-rays of her and they were negative," he said. "We're very comfortable with that. We're just going to have to wait and come back with her another time. She's had some hard races this spring and not feeling that she's a 100 percent physically, we're going to back off and give her some time."

Asmussen had been looking forward to a bid for the Kentucky Oaks because two of Lake Lady's best races came over the course at Churchill Downs last fall, but he refused to characterize this development with the filly as a disappointment.

"I'm not disappointed in her," said Asmussen. "She's run such good races for us that there's no other way to look at it. I'm very proud of the effort that she's put in and the responsible decision for us it to evaluate where we're at now. It isn't the right thing to move forward. She's a great mare and I think every one of her races has been strong and she'll come back a great mare for us."

Lake Lady has a record of 4-3-0 in eight races, including victories in the Tiffany Lass and Thelma Stakes at the Fair Grounds. She has earned $286,160.

IN OTHER OAKS NEWS...

BELLA BELLUCCI - Michael Tabor's winner of the Comely (GIII) galloped 1 ¼ miles for trainer Neil Drysdale. Exercise rider Marcelino Olguin was in the saddle.

BELTERRA/TAKE CHARGE LADY - Trainer Carl Nafzger's Kentucky Oaks duo of Robert Manfuso's Belterra and Elizabeth Valando's Take The Cake walked on Thursday.

Both fillies had worked five furlongs on Tuesday and jogged on Wednesday.

HABIBTI - Trainer Bob Baffert said that the Thoroughbred Corporation's Habibti walked the shedrow a day after working six furlongs in 1:13.40.

Baffert said Habibti would not have another work before the Oaks.

IMPERIAL GESTURE/TEMPERA - Godolphin Racing's two Kentucky Oaks hopefuls galloped a mile and a quarter before the renovation break. Lee Roebuck was on Imperial Gesture and Rachel Dore on Tempera.

The two are scheduled to work either Monday or Tuesday.

MS BROOKSKI/CHAMROUSSE - Trainer Niall O'Callaghan said Gary Tanaka's Bonnie Miss (GII) winner Ms Brookski walked under the shedrow on the day after a five-furlong workout. "She came out of it great," said O'Callaghan.

Arthur Hancock III and James Stone's Chamrousse galloped under assistant trainer Jennifer Brown. There is a slight chance she would run in the Oaks, but O'Callaghan has said she is more likely for the Black-Eyed Susan (GII) at Pimlico on May 17.

TAKE CHARGE LADY - Select Stable's Take Charge Lady galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Helen Pitts after the renovation break.

Trainer Ken McPeek said Take Charge Lady would work five-eighths Friday morning after the break with regular rider Tony D'Amico up.

YOU - Trainer Bobby Frankel said Edmund Gann's You walked under the shedrow on the day after a six-furlong work at Churchill Downs. Frankel said the You And I filly may walk again on Friday.