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Quiet Day For Oaks Fillies
Apr. 30, 2003
By: Churchill Downs Notes Team

Kentucky Oaks Headlines:

  • Quiet Day For Oaks Fillies
  • Post Positions Are Debated
  • Yell Arrives Wednesday Afternoon

    ATLANTIC OCEAN/SANTA CATARINA - The two Bob Baffert-trained fillies are easing their way to the Oaks. Atlantic Ocean, a big filly with long, loping strides, jogged once around the oval Wednesday morning, while Santa Catarina galloped a mile and a half. "They're both doing really well," Baffert said. "They're ready to go." Atlantic Ocean drew Post 8 for the mile and an eighth Oaks, while Santa Catarina goes from Post 11 in the 12-horse field. Jim Barnes, Baffert's chief assistant, said he didn't think the outside post would be a problem for Santa Catarina. "She can overcome the outside post," Barnes said. "In fact, she's probably better off out there than down inside where she would be crowded and looking for room." Atlantic Ocean, who has won two of three stakes starts this year, will be ridden by David Flores, who has been aboard in all her starts this year. Santa Catarina, who seems to be regaining the sharp form she displayed last summer, will have Gary Stevens in the boot for the second straight time.

    BIRD TOWN/HOLIDAY LADY - The Nick Zito stablemates each galloped 1 ¼ miles under exercise rider Maxine Correa today, and, afterward, the trainer talked about their differences. "Bird Town is a little bit compact; she's a very gritty filly," Zito said. "She likes to stay close. She's never had a bad race. She has quick feet. "Holiday Lady is larger, leaner. Basically, she has a style where she looks like a distance filly. "Bird Town broke her maiden here. She won by six lengths (actually 6 ¼), going around two turns. "So, one is more compact and quicker. The other is larger, leaner and looks like she has staying power." Holiday Lady and Bird Town drew side-by-side post positions, with Holiday Lady in the No. 4 and Bird Town in the 5. "It was all right," Zito said of the draw.

    ELLOLUV - Owners Zillah and J. Paul Reddam were on hand with friends to see their 5-2 Oaks favorite gallop 1 ¼ miles under Enrique Alferez. "She's really taken to this track, and she's got the shortest way around the track," trainer Craig Dollase said, referring to her post position on the rail. "She went real nice." The Reddams also own 25 percent of Derby starter Ten Most Wanted, who is trained by Craig's father, Wally.

    GO FOR GLAMOUR - Exercise rider Andy Durnin jogged the third-place finisher in the Santa Anita Oaks and Fantasy Stakes, who has been pegged as a 20-1 shot after drawing the No. 3 post. Go for Glamour's trip to Louisville has given trainer Beau Greely a chance to visit with family and old friends. His father owns a farm in Midway, and his brother runs it. His mother and two sisters are interior decorators.

    IN CASE OF WIND - Trackside-based In Case of Wind had what trainer Bill Million called "a happy gallop" of 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Mark Fuchs. A 50-1 outsider in the Oaks, In Case of Wind drew Post 10 in the 12-filly field. "It's not what I would pick," Million said. "But if you're going to be David and Goliath, you might as well throw the stone from the farthest point. You've just got to try to overcome what you've been given. "(Jockey) Calvin (Borel) loves to save ground. I'm sure he'll get over. I have all the confidence in the world in him."

    ISLAND FASHION - The Nick Canani trainee jogged under exercise rider Andy Durnin. "She's going to jog up to the race," Canani said. "She worked a little fast the other day." The trainer said he's "not crazy" about the fact that Island Fashion drew the extreme outside. "She'll have to get over, which she does a good job of." Island Fashion is well-traveled. She made her first career start finishing fourth in the Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise and then finished second in a maiden special weight at her home, Santa Anita Park. Last out she went to New Mexico and won the WinStar/Sunland Oaks at Sunland Park. "With the planes we have available, and the right type of horse you can do it," Canani said. "It's really easy."

    LADY TAK - Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Lady Tak loped a mile before the renovation break under exercise rider Lisa Orn. Trainer Steve Asmussen was in Dallas with a Thursday night return to Louisville scheduled. Assistant Scott Blasi oversaw the morning activity. Lady Tak is the 4-1 co-second choice on the Oaks morning line and will break from Post 7 under Jerry Bailey.

    MY BOSTON GAL - Beaumont Stakes winner My Boston Gal, the 4-1 co-second choice on the morning line for the Oaks, galloped before the renovation break under exercise rider Tracey Wilkes. My Boston Gal, who will be ridden in the Oaks by Pat Day and break from Post 2, debuted last fall at Keeneland, winning a 6 ½-furlong race by 2 ¾ lengths. Trainer Carl Nafzger was asked if he thought he had an Oaks filly that day. "The owners (Chester Porter, Randall Bloch and Phil Milner) did," Nafzger said with a laugh. "I thought we had something, but I wasn't sure what. I called her a butterfly. She did everything great last year, but when she got to Florida she displaced her soft palate (in the Davona Dale) that day and after that I told the owners I had more confidence in her because she had to toughen up and she did."

    TEMPUS FUGIT - The Kenny McPeek trainee, a 50-1 longshot on the morning line, galloped a mile and a half under Helen Pitts. McPeek was at Keeneland, checking on the 16 horses he has stabled at the Lexington track.

    YELL - The Davona Dale winner galloped a mile under exercise rider Donna McMullen at Belmont Park, then stood in the gate, then galloped another three-quarters of a mile. Yell ships to Louisville on a 1 p.m. flight today; trainer Shug McGaughey flies in tomorrow.

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