5.2.2003 Photo By: Dan Dry   Bird Town and jockey Edgar Prado (above) gave owner and breeder Marylou Whitney and trainer Nick Zito their his first Kentucky Oaks (GI) victory. "(Ms. Whitney) is a special lady," said Zito. "This is a homebred. We had nothing to do with it. They've been loyal owners. I can't thank her enough for sending her to me."

Bird Town Sings In Churchill's Rich Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 2, 2003) - Marylou Whitney Stable's Bird Town came rumbling from out of the pack to swoop by the leaders deep in the stretch and draw out to a 3 1/4-length surprise in Friday's 129th running of the $573,800 Kentucky Oaks.

The Kentucky-bred daughter of Cape Town, bred by her owner, raced the nine furlongs of the Oaks in 1:48.64, the fastest running of the Grade I classic for 3-year-old fillies. Her tally in front of 100,523 - the fifth-largest Oaks crowd at historic Churchill Downs - was worth $38.40 to her backers on a sun-splashed afternoon

Edgar Prado rode the winner for trainer Nick Zito. It was the first win in the headliner for both.

Robert and Beverly Lewis' Santa Catarina finished second, a head in front of Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider's Yell. Pace-setter Elloluv, owned by J. Paul Reddam, hung on for fourth, another three-quarters of a length back.

Bird Town earned a winner's share of $355,756 for her first graded stakes win. It was her third win overall in eight career starts to go with four seconds. She now has a bankroll that reads $498,751

Prado overcame a poor start, but was back in the pack through the early going, running eighth as the field moved through the first half-mile. He called on his filly to move forward from there and she responded with a steady run that accelerated as she went. At the top of the stretch she had moved up to fourth as Santa Catarina, Lady Tak and Elloluv battled ferociously on the front end. Approaching the sixteenth pole, Bird Town stuck her head in front and she fired away from her field for her impressive triumph

Post-Race Quotes

EDGAR PRADO
(Jockey, Bird Town, winner)
On Bird Town's start - "After she stumbled out of the gate, she lost a lot of position to the first turn. Then she started picking up horses, picking up horses. Then at the quarter pole, when she got clear I knew she had a chance, and I got more confident as she went on she could win. She won with a lot of courage and determination."

NICK ZITO
(Trainer, Bird Town, winner)
On Bird Town's start - "(When she stumbled) I told Kim, my wife, 'Not again, how many big races can this happen?' I haven't had a lot of luck lately. But she came into the race perfect; she's done nothing wrong the last month. She trained great all winter. I thought she'd be laying second or third. She's pretty amazing."

On Bird Town's owner Marylou Whitney - "(Ms. Whitney) is a special lady. This is a homebred. We had nothing to do with it. They've been loyal owners. I can't thank her enough for sending her to me."

GARY STEVENS
(Jockey, Santa Catarina, finished second)
"That was a big, big effort by her. It was a roughly run race and I was wide on both turns trying to stay away from all of that. A couple horses almost went down and another clipped heels. She made a big move off the turn, but just didn't have enough to hold off the winner."

JOHN VELAZQUEZ
(Jockey, Yell, finished third)
"She ran a really good race despite a troubled trip. She got bumped around the first turn and we were caught behind. After that she ran well and I thought we had a chance for second. But I am pleased with the effort after what happened on the first turn. She could have quit, but was very game."

CLAUDE "SHUG" McGAUGHEY
(Trainer, Yell, finished third)

"I thought she ran very good. She got roughed up on the first turn - twice. John Velazquez said she was very game to hang in there the way she did. We'll get her back to New York on Sunday, review everything and then see where we stand (as far as her next start is concerned)."

ROBBY ALBARADO
(Jockey, Elloluv, finished fourth)
"They never gave us a breather. I didn't expect they would, but I was hoping to have it easy going into the first turn. When one went away, another one came at her. It just took its toll on her in the end. She's still a great filly. My hat's off to the winner."

PAT DAY
(Jockey, My Boston Gal, finished fifth)
"We got away in good shape and settled behind the leaders. I liked where we were at. At the three-eighths pole, I turned her loose and she came out of the bridle, but when I asked her, she never got back into it. Maybe it's the breathing problem she had before, that seems to be the only possibility at this time. She didn't get beat all that badly, all things considered."

CARL NAFZGER
(Trainer, My Boston Gal, finished fifth)
"She made that noise again with the epiglottis (like she did in Florida in the Davona Dale) and we are going to do the throat surgery. She won't be back until it's perfect. We went as far as we could and for her to finish fifth, that was a hell of a race."

JERRY BAILEY
(Jockey, Lady Tak, finished sixth as the favorite)
"As I went up in the first turn, there was a space in there for three horses (to go through), but four horses went for it. After that it made her very aggressive and we had a rough trip."

JOSE SANTOS (Jockey, Holiday Lady, finished eighth)
"Warming up, I could tell that she was not the same. This filly might be getting sick...she was making some noise in her throat the last three-eighths of a mile. I think she had a legitimate excuse today, because she's better than that."

DAVID FLORES (Jockey, Atlantic Ocean, finished ninth)
"She never handled the track. She was spinning her wheels and spinning her wheels. I don't know why because the track was in great shape."

CALVIN BOREL (Jockey, In Case of Wind, finished 10th)
"We had a good trip, she tried, but she just got outrun."

SHANE SELLERS (Jockey, Tempus Fugit, finished 11th)
"She's just not seasoned like these. She just broke her maiden and she goes up against Lady Tak and horses like that. She's a nice filly. She has all the talent. I rode my race the way I had to. She's a front-runner. I just hope I didn't cost Elloluv the race."

ALEX SOLIS (Jockey, Go for Glamour, finished 12th)
"I am lucky that we got back in one piece. I almost got put over the fence at the seven-eighths pole. I don't know who it was, but three or four horses came over on me."

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