BELLA BELLUCCI - Michael Tabor's filly had an easy day getting ready for the Oaks, galloping a mile and a half around the oval early Tuesday morning.

"Just her usual exercise," said trainer Neil Drysdale. A $925,000 sales purchase, the daughter of French Deputy has won four of her five lifetime starts and Drysdale is eager to see if she comes up to the level of some of his other crack fillies, like Princess Rooney and Bold 'n Determined, both of whom are in the Racing Hall of Fame.

"She has all the right attributes," Drysdale said. "She's big, strong and fast, just what you want."

Gary Stevens will have the mount Friday.

BELTERRA/TAKE THE CAKE - Robert T. Manfuso's Belterra will skip the Kentucky Oaks and point to major events later in the season, trainer Carl Nafzger said Tuesday.

"I couldn't justify running her in such a tough race coming off the surgery," Nafzger said. "The anesthesia had an effect and she's still recovering. Bob Manfuso and I decided about 7:30 last night not to run.

"We'll nominate to the Lone Star Derby (May 11 at Lone Star Park) and the Black-Eyed Susan (May 17 at Pimlico). The long-range goals will be the Alabama (Aug. 17 at Saratoga) and the Breeders' Cup Distaff (Oct. 26 at Arlington Park)."

Belterra underwent throat surgery on April 8 after running third in the Ashland Stakes.

Elizabeth Valando's Take The Cake, who had her final Oaks drill on Monday (five furlongs in 1:01 3/5), just jogged around the track Tuesday morning.

"She's doing great," Nafzger said of the Fly So Free filly. "She really needed her last race and I think she'll improve off that."

Take The Cake, winner of the Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream in January, ran fifth behind Ms Brookski in the Davona Dale on Feb. 24, then didn't start again until the Ashland on April 6.

"She was entered in the Bourbonette at Turfway Park," Nafzger said, "but she drew the far outside post and I didn't think she could possible do well from out there. So the Ashland was her first start in seven weeks, and she really needed it."

Nafzger has named Rene Douglas, won won on her in Florida, to ride Take The Cake.

FARDA AMIGA - The Broad Brush filly, trained by Paulo Lobo, was due in the barn area at Churchill Downs Tuesday afternoon after a flight from California.

Farda Amiga is coming off a fourth behind You and Habibti in the Santa Anita Oaks.

HABIBTI - The Thoroughbred Corporation's Habibti galloped once around the track Tuesday morning with exercise rider Dana Barnes aboard.

"She's doing well," trainer Bob Baffert said of the daughter of Tabasco Cat. "But she's coming off two defeats (seconds in both the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks) and she's going to have to step it up in here. The distance should be just fine."

Victor Espinoza, who has been aboard in all her six lifetime starts, has the call again Friday.

ILE DE FRANCE - The Storm Cat filly, owned by Stud TNT and trained by Richard Mandella, was due in the Churchill Downs stable area Tuesday afternoon after arriving from California on the flight with Farda Amiga.

Ile de France was third in the Santa Anita Oaks last out, a nose before Farda Amiga. In her previous race she finished a head behind that rival on the turf.

IMPERIAL GESTURE/TEMPERA - Godolphin Racing Inc.'s Imperial Gesture had her final serious drill for the Oaks Tuesday morning, a sharp five-furlong move in 1:01 1/5 with exercise rider Lee Roebuck aboard.

"It looks like she's as good as always," said Tom Albertrani, assistant to Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

The Langfuhr filly has had two starts this year, both resulting in galloping victories in the Moonshell Mile and UAE Oaks, both at Nad al Sheba in Dubai. Her Oaks win came on April 13.

"We only worked her once here because she ran just before she traveled," Albertrani said. "She shipped well - we got here almost two weeks ago, and the work should set her up fine."

Frankie Dettori, Imperial Gesture's regular rider since she finished second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last year, will fly in for the mount Friday.

Albertrani said the stable was still recovering from the sudden loss of Tempera. The Godolphin filly, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last year, was put down Sunday night after foundering. Tempera, who would have been one of the favorites in the Oaks, developed a fever last Friday which culminated in laminitis.

"It's still hard to accept," Albertrani said. "Her condition changed so fast in such a short time. We never imagined something that serious could develop that quickly.

"The whole barn is trying to chill down, look ahead. It was really hard on the people who worked with her but they seem to be in better spirits today, even if they're not really over it."

MS BROOKSKI - Gary Tanaka's filly, who will be making her first start for trainer Niall O'Callaghan in Friday's Oaks, blew out for the big dance Tuesday morning, breezing three furlongs in :35 3/5 with exercise rider Jennifer Brown aboard.

"I was happy with the work," O'Callaghan said. "It took her a while to adjust to this racetrack, but I think she's done it. She might surprise everybody Friday."

Ms Brookski won the Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream in February, but finished fifth in Bonnie Miss on March 15, when trained by Reed Combest.

"This will be the first time she runs for us," O'Callaghan said, "and I'm really looking forward to it."

The trainer has named Jorge Chavez as the rider in the Oaks.

TAKE CHARGE LADY - Select Stable's Take Charge Lady galloped a mile and three-eighths under assistant trainer Helen Pitts before the renovation break. The winner of Keeneland's Ashland Stakes (GI) also visited the paddock.

"She had a good gallop this morning and she is doing just great. She's a deserving favorite," trainer Ken McPeek said of Take Charge Lady, whose last work was Friday, a five-furlong move in :59.60.

McPeek noted that Take Charge Lady's three victories this year have all come at a mile and a sixteenth.

"A mile and an eighth (of the Oaks) will be a good test," McPeek said, adding with a grin, "maybe for a mile and three-sixteenths."

The Preakness distance being a mile and three-sixteenths, McPeek was asked if he would run Take Charge Lady against his Derby favorite, /Harlan's Holiday, in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, for which she is nominated.

"I wouldn't want to do that, but she's awful fast," McPeek said. "She would give him every bit of a test that he'd want."

TRACI'S WILD - Millard R. Seldin's filly will not go in the Oaks Friday, trainer Gary Thomas said Tuesday morning from his base at Trackside.

"The Edgewood ($100,000, one mile on turf) that same day looks like a better fit," Thomas said. "The Oaks was coming up very tough and I think my filly will like the grass."

Traci's Wild, a daughter of Langfuhr, ran fourth in the Fantasy at Oaklawn last out after getting off to a horrible start.

"She came out of the gate terrible," Thomas said. "So this morning, I worked her from the gate. She went easy, a half in :50, but I wanted her to have a better gate experience."

YOU - Multiple-stakes winner You galloped a mile and one-half under Jose Cuevas Tuesday morning as she moves toward her date in Friday's $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks.

The daughter of You And I will have Jerry Bailey up in the Grade I headliner that anchors the big afternoon prior to the Kentucky Derby. "I'll blow her out tomorrow," said trainer Robert Frankel. "Just three furlongs to set her up right."