Trainer Steve Asmussen may train the best 3-year-old filly in America in the unbeaten Lady Tak, but this weekend his attention will be focused on a pair of seemingly lesser fillies in his barn.

Asmussen will saddle Nelson Bunker Hunt's Souris and Steven Baker's Valid Pulpit in Saturday's inaugural running of the $250,000 WinStar Sunland Park Oaks at New Mexico's Sunland Park.

The two fillies top a field of nine in the one-mile race, which launches the biggest weekend of Thoroughbred racing in the history of the track. Sunday's $500,000 WinStar Derby will match 3-year-old colts in its first running.

Souris will try to add to an impressive start on the year for Asmussen, who is dueling with Scott Lake for the early lead in total wins in 2003 by U.S. trainers. Asmussen edged Lake for that title in 2002.

Souris, a daughter of Dehere, won the Top Flight at Arlington Park at two and scored an easy victory this season in the Wishing Well at Louisiana's Delta Downs. Corey Lanerie will ride Souris, who has career earnings of $213,410. Valid Pulpit has won three of her last four races and the daughter of Pulpit displayed an affinity for the Sunland Park course with wins in the El Paso Times and Princess Handicaps over the track. She also won the Bayou City Handicap at Sam Houston and has earned $137,820. Corey Lambert will ride.

Other contenders in the WinStar Oaks include California invaders Himalayan and Island Fashion.

Central -- Robert and Beverly Lewis's Composure has arrived in Kentucky for her new career as a broodmare and has already been scheduled for a date.

The Blood-Horse reports that the Lewises have decided to breed their daughter of Touch Gold, the winner the Las Virgenes (GI) and Santa Anita Oaks (GI) for trainer Bob Baffert, to 1992 "Horse of the Year" A.P. Indy.

Composure, who earned $731,300 in her abbreviated career, was retired last week after suffering a leg fracture. She arrived March 22 at Robert N. Clay's Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky.

Southeast -- John C. Oxley's Perfect Story, a half-sister to 2001 "Horse of the Year" Point Given, is coming off a disappointing run in the Davona Dale (GII) at Gulfstream Park, but she could still find her way to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks (GI) on May 2.

That's the word from trainer John Ward, Jr. -- but Ward is in no hurry. He said Perfect Story will run in Keeneland's Stonerside Beaumont (GII) when she returns to Kentucky. What happens after that will be determined by that race.

"If she were to run well there we'd still consider the Kentucky Oaks," Ward said. "Although New York has hung up all that money for the Triple Tiara so you can slow your game down some with a 3-year-old filly. You don't have to lay it all on the line for the Oaks."

Ward won the Kentucky Oaks in 1995 with Oxley's Gal In A Ruckus.

Golden Rod (GII) winner My Boston Gal turned in a sharp four-furlong work over a "fast" track on Thursday at Churchill Downs. The Carl Nafzger-trained filly covered the distance in :47, the fastest of 18 moves at the distance.

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