Kentucky Oaks Winner Farda Amiga Doing Well After Big Win

		5.3.2002	Photo By: Four-Footed Fotos
		Old Friends, Inc., Winner Silk, Inc., and Jose De Camargo's Farda Amiga (above) - Portugese for "fancy silks" - collared favored Take Charge Lady in the final sixteenth of a mile and drew clear to win the 128th running of the Kentucky Oaks (GI) by 1 1/4-lengths on May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. "It (winning the Oaks) could maybe change my life," Farda Amiga's 33-year-old trainer, Paulo Lobo, said. "But I always have confidence in her. She is a very, very good filly. How far she'll go, we'll see."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 4, 2002) - Farda Amiga, the 20-1 upset winner of the 128th running of the Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Friday at Churchill Downs, was reported to be doing well on the morning after the biggest victory of her young career.

Trainer Paulo Lobo said the 3-year-old daughter of Broad Brush had an easy morning after she defeated an international cast in the $500,000, 1 1/8-mile race that over the years has become known as the "Kentucky Derby For Fillies."

"She is just fine," said Lobo. "She ate everything and she walked a little bit. She is doing well."

The win in the $500,000, 1 1/8-mile race was also the biggest for Lobo, a 33-year-old native of Brazil who admitted to sleeping little on the night after the most significant victory of his career. He has spent much of his time talking by telephone with well-wishers from his homeland.

"Many, many people in Brazil saw the race because ESPN did the race live," said Lobo. "Owners and breeders - everybody knows there. It's amazing."

Lobo is happy for the filly's Brazilian owners - Old Friends, Inc., Winner Silk, Inc., and Jose De Camargo - and jockey Chris McCarron, who won his third Kentucky Oaks. But he also believes the victory by Farda Amiga will do much to raise his profile after just a year and a half in the United States.

"It could maybe change my life," he said. "But I always have confidence in her. She is a very, very good filly. How far she'll go, we'll see."

Lobo said no decision has been made on the next race for Farda Amiga, who raced four times on turf before she made her dirt debut in a close fourth-place finish behind You in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI). He listed as possible objectives for his filly such races as the new American Oaks at 1 ¼ miles on turf at Hollywood Park on July 6, the Del Mar Oaks (GI) at 1 1/8 miles on grass on Aug. 24, or a race on the Belmont Park main track in the Coaching Club American Oaks (GI) at 1 ½ miles on July 20.

"It's difficult to choose because she runs very well on both tracks," Lobo said.

The victory by Farda Amiga in the Kentucky Oaks improved her career record to 3-0-0 in six races and boosted her earnings to $432,302.