Starlet attracts field of five

Dec 06, 2017 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

The final Road to the Kentucky Oaks points race of 2017 takes place Saturday at Los Alamitos, and five fillies will line up for their share of 10-4-2-1 points toward a starting berth in next spring’s Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Exuberance drew the inside post under jockey Tyler Baze, and is seeking her first stakes win in this spot. The Ian Kruljac trainee was third in the Barretts Debutante Stakes over the track on September 16 and just broke her maiden last out at Santa Anita Park by 6 1/2 lengths.

Piedi Bianchi placed in both the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G1) before filling the fifth spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) most recently for trainer Doug O’Neill. The Overanalyze gray filly broke her maiden at Del Mar on August 12 in her second race, and gets new rider Kyle Frey in the irons.

Dream Tree is in the middle of the field from post 3, and will try to move her record to a perfect three-for-three here. The Bob Baffert pupil captured both of her prior starts by a nose, including the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar on November 18, under returning jockey Drayden Van Dyke.

A win in the Starlet would see War Heroine also exit the race with an unbeaten mark. The Peter Miller-conditioned daughter of Lonhro was a 6 3/4-length winner of her racing bow at Del Mar on November 12. Flavien Prat was aboard that day and retains the mount here.

Yesterday’s News breaks from the far outside post in the Starlet with regular rider Mario Gutierrez remaining in the saddle. The Simon Callaghan charge returns to the main track after a pair of races on the turf, including a sixth-placing while making her stakes bow in the Surfer Girl Stakes. The bay miss took her maiden at Del Mar in early September going a mile on the dirt.