Atlantic Ocean, Lady Tak Breeze
ATLANTIC OCEAN/SANTA CATARINA - The Thoroughbred Corporation's Atlantic
Ocean looked sharp in her final drill for Friday's Kentucky Oaks as she
breezed a half-mile in :47 4/5 and went out five furlongs in 1:00 3/5
Monday morning.
Santa Catarina, who had her final tune-up Sunday morning (a
five-eighths breeze in 1:01 1/5), walked the shedrow today.
Trainer Bob Baffert was happy with Atlantic Ocean's move.
"It was a very nice work," he said. "She wanted to do a lot, and
we just let her breeze. I think both fillies are ready to roll."
Atlantic Ocean has won two of three stakes starts this year with
David Flores aboard, and Flores gets call Friday. She was second in the
Fair Grounds Oaks last out to Lady Tak, who will be in Friday's field.
Santa Catarina was sharp last summer, then lost twice to
champion filly Storm Flag Flying. She signaled her return to good form
with a galloping win in an allowance mile at Santa Anita on March 12.
Gary Stevens will ride Santa Catarina in the Oaks.
BIRD TOWN/HOLIDAY LADY - Both Nick Zito trainees walked the shedrow
after their final clocked works Sunday.
This will be just Zito's second Oaks. His first was in 1997, when he
brought Storm Song to Louisville to face, among others, Prince Ahmed
Salman's Sharp Cat.
The prince bet $1,000 to Zito's $100 that Sharp Cat would beat Storm
Song. Sharp Cat indeed finished in front of Storm Song but was
disqualified, giving Storm Song third place.
The prince said he'd won the bet. "I said, 'No, you didn't. I said
official finish,' " Zito recalled.
Zito said the prince paid up, and Zito distributed the money to the barn
help.
ELLOLUV - J.P. Reddam's top standard bearer jogged, and trainer Craig
Dollase said, "All systems are go."
She schooled in the paddock Sunday afternoon, and Dollase said she
handled it effortlessly. "She's an intelligent filly," he said. "When
she sees the crowd she really gets up."
With Dollase's father Wally running Ten Most Wanted in the Derby, the
weekend will be a family reunion.
Coming in for the race are Craig's older sister, Michelle and her three
children and the husband of his other sister, Carrie. Craig's wife
cannot come because she is due to deliver their second child the end of
May.
His other sister, Aimee, an assistant to his father, already is
in town.
GO FOR GLAMOUR - The Beau Greely trainee worked a half-mile under
exercise rider Andy Durnin, and Greely said he clocked the filly in :46
2/5 with a gallop out time of :59 4/5. The clockers gave her an official
time of :46 3/5.
"It was just what I wanted. She went beautifully," said Greely,
who just returned from a trip home to Southern California, during which
he won two races.
"She handled the track well. We just let her stretch her legs
out. Same thing last week, last Tuesday, when she went in like :50 3/5."
IN CASE OF WIND - The Trackside-based filly galloped a "light" 1 ½
miles, and trainer Bill Million said, "she wanted to do more. The rider
said it just makes her mad when she can't.
"It's a good sign. She's eating well. I don't know I've ever had
her this sharp.
"With the budget I have to work with it's hard to compete with
the big guys, but the owners [James and Karen Stone] don't get that many
opportunities. If she wins, it'll be one for the little guys."
ISLAND FASHION - The WinStar/Sunland Oaks winner worked a half-mile in
:46 1/5 under Sal Gonzalez Jr. Monday morning.
"It's a little faster than we wanted," trainer Nick Canani said. "But
she's ready to run. Sometimes it's hard to slow her down when she's
ready to go. It's not going to hurt her."
LADY TAK - Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Lady Tak worked a half-mile in
:49 under jockey Lonnie Meche before the renovation break Monday
morning.
"She worked fantastic," trainer Steve Asmussen said. "She will walk
tomorrow, gallop Wednesday and Thursday and run Friday."
Jerry Bailey has the mount in the Oaks.
"I think Mr. Steve Asmussen has the Oaks winner. She does it so easy,"
Meche said. "She has a fleet turn of foot when I call on her and she is
very kind to rate. I am so excited to watch the race; I wish I could
ride her because she would be my second Oaks winner."
Meche rode Blushing K.D. to victory in the 1997 Oaks.
MY BOSTON GAL - Golden Rod and Beaumont Stakes winner My Boston Gal was
back on the track at 6:20 Monday morning to jog a mile under exercise
rider Tracey Wilkes.
My Boston Gal had worked five furlongs in 1:00 on Sunday and trainer
Carl Nafzger takes his horses back to the track a day after a work.
"She came back good, cleaned up good and is doing well," Nafzger said.
Pat Day has the call on My Boston Gal, who will walk Tuesday.
MY TRUSTY CAT - The filly owned by Churchill Downs chairman Carl
Pollard will not run in the Oaks, trainer David Vance said Monday.
"She's not right," Vance said. "She's not eating. She's not 100 percent.
She's calm, which isn't her thing. Maybe she's getting a little bug.
"She would have had to work today to run Friday, and there's no sense
doing something that's going to hurt her in the long run.
"She's been perfect the whole time. It's the first time anything's been
wrong with her. But at least she's not injured. We'll wait and go on
with her."
YELL - The Davona Dale winner galloped a mile and a quarter under
regular exercise rider Donna McMullen at Belmont Park today.
"She's doing great," said Buzzy Tenney, top assistant to trainer
Shug McGaughey.
The filly will fly down to Louisville Wednesday.
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