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Storm Flag Flying Makes Anticipated 2003 Debut
By: John Asher

Kentucky Oaks 129 Headlines:

  • Storm Flag Flying Makes '03 Debut
  • Ivanavinalot On Oaks Fence
  • Ruby's Reception "Unlikely" For Oaks

    East - Ogden Mills Phipps' Storm Flag Flying, the unbeaten champion juvenile filly of 2002, is scheduled to make her much anticipated debut as a 3-year-old in Friday's $100,000 Comely Stakes (Grade III) at New York's Aqueduct.

    The daughter of Storm Cat, who is trained by Claude "Shug" McGaughey, is scheduled to face four rivals in the Comely, which is her first start since a gritty win over Composure in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Arlington Park last October. In doing so she became the first third-generation Breeders' Cup winner. Her dam, My Flag, won the Juvenile Fillies in 1995 and her grandmother, Hall of Famer Personal Ensign, won the Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) at Churchill Downs in 1988.

    McGaughey said victory in the Comely could earn Storm Flag Flying a trip to the Kentucky Oaks.

    "The Oaks is a possibility," he said. "Then we'll point to the big races in New York over the summer."

    Those races include the New York Racing Association's (NYRA) "Triple Tiara." That three-race series has been shuffled this year to include Belmont Park's Mother Goose (GI) and Coaching Club American Oaks (GI) and the three-race series concludes with the Alabama (GI) at Saratoga in mid-August. Any filly that wins all three of those races would, for the first time, collect a bonus of $2 million.

    But Storm Flag Flying's first step is the one-mile Comely, a race in which her most serious opposition appears to be Cyber Secret, winner of the Cicada (GIII) in her most recent start. Regular jockey John Velazquez will be back in the irons aboard Storm Flag Flying as she takes the first step in what her trainer hopes will be a remarkable year.

    "I hope we haven't gotten to the bottom of her yet," McGaughey said. "I'm looking forward to getting her over there."

    Southeast -- Gilbert Campbell's Ivanavinalot turned in a rare poor effort in her most recent start in Keeneland's Ashland Stakes (GI), but she could still get a shot at redemption in the Kentucky Oaks.

    Ivanavinalot worked a solid six furlongs earlier this week for trainer Kathleen O'Connell and the move was strong enough to keep the Florida-bred filly's Oaks hopes flickering despite her problems in the Ashland.

    "She got absolutely nothing from that race," said O'Connell. "I hate to run her a mile and an eighth and ship her too with nothing between the Bonnie Miss and the Oaks. She will need to work another really good work here first before we decide. I don't want to take her if she's not 110 percent."

    If O'Connell passes on the Oaks, Ivanavinalot would be pointed to Pimlico's Black Eyed Susan (GII).

    Central -- Her owners live in Kentucky and her trainer is also based in the state, but it appears "unlikely" that Oasis Stable's Fantasy (GII) winner Ruby's Reception will run in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks.

    Trainer Larry Jones said the three-week space between races may not be enough for his filly.

    "I'm not saying we couldn't dive down in there, but right now that's not the plan," Jones said. "I really don't know what we're going to do, to tell you the truth. But she doesn't really like to get her races real close together and we're probably going to try to space her out a little more than the Oaks."

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