Fitz Just Right

Follow the progress of your favorite Kentucky Oaks contender through the Churchill Downs Notes Team, bringing you daily updates on the fillies preparing for the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1.

BE FAIR – Four-time Kentuckcy Oaks-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thomas Van Meter and Charles Kidder’s Be Fair “galloped strong” under exercise rider Omar Golon on Thursday morning at Churchill Downs. But how far did she gallop?

“Doesn’t matter,” Lukas said.  “She was strong.”

Rafael Bejarano has the Oaks mount on Be Fair, who will work Sunday or Monday.

FITZ JUST RIGHT / JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Fitz Just Right and Justwhistledixie galloped a mile and a half each after the renovation break with exercise rider Danny Wright handling both activities.

Neal McLaughlin, assistant to his brother Kiaran McLaughlin, said both fillies would work “probably a half-mile” after the renovation break Friday with Wright handling both works.

Ramon Dominguez will ride Fitz Just Right in the Oaks and Julien Leparoux has the call on Justwhistledixie.

FLYING SPUR – Mike Rutherford’s Flying Spur galloped under exercise rider Joanne Trout on her first day at Churchill Downs. The Bill Mott trainee has been stabled at Keeneland since finishing second in the March 14 Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II).

Mott said that Garrett Gomez would have the mount on Flying Spur in the Oaks and that the filly’s final pre-Oaks work likely would be Monday.

GABBY’S GOLDEN GAL – Arnold Zetcher’s Gabby’s Golden Gal galloped a mile under exercise rider George Alvarez for trainer Bob Baffert.

Victor Espinoza has the Oaks riding assignment on Gabby’s Golden Gal, who is slated for her final pre-Oaks work on Sunday or Monday.

NAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Nan galloped a “strong” 1 ¼ miles according to Wally Dollase,  who’s handling training duties for his son Craig while the younger Dollase takes care of other business on the West Coast.

Dollase says it’s not yet determined when Nan will put in her final work for Oaks 135. Corey Nakatani has the riding assignment for the Oaks.

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – L & M Parnters LLC’s probable Kentucky Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break with exercise rider Rudy Gallegos up.

Trained by Hal Wiggins, Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to work a half-mile on Monday morning with Oaks rider Calvin Borel up

Churchill Downs has provided the following horse-by-horse update on preparations by the contenders for the 135th Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1, 2009.

BE FAIR – Thomas Van Meter and Charles Kidder’s Be Fair galloped Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Omar Golon up. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time winner of the Kentucky Oaks, has enlisted the services of jockey Rafael Bejarano to ride Be Fair in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

FITZ JUST RIGHT / JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – West Point Thoroughbreds’ duo of Fitz Just Right and Justwhistledixie are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Wednesday afternoon. The Kiaran McLaughlin trainees will be housed in Barn 42. The fillies are scheduled to work Friday and McLaughlin will be on hand for the works. Ramon Dominguez has the riding assignment on Fitz Just Right and Julien Leparoux will partner Justwhistledixie in the Oaks.

FLYING SPUR – Mike Rutherford’s Flying Spur is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs from Keeneland on Wednesday afternoon and will be stabled in trainer Bill Mott’s barn (19). In her most recent start, Flying Spur ran second to probable Kentucky Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra in the Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II) on March 14. Flying Spur, a homebred daughter of Giant’s Causeway, is a daughter of Lakeway, who ran second in the 1994 Kentucky Oaks.

GABBY’S GOLDEN GIRL – Arnold Zetcher’s Gabby’s Golden Girl jogged before the renovation break Wednesday morning under exercise rider George Alvarez. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gabby’s Golden Girl enters the Oaks off a 13-length victory in the Sunland Park Oaks on March 29. Victor Espinoza, who was aboard for the first time that day, has the Oaks riding assignment.

NAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Nan visited the starting gate and then galloped a mile and an eighth before the renovation break under exercise rider Jose Castanon. Trained by Craig Dollase, Nan is scheduled to work on Friday or Saturday. Corey Nakatani has the Oaks riding assignment.

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – L and M Partners’ Rachel Alexandra continued to show her readiness for next Friday’s Kentucky Oaks by galloping a mile and a half under stout restraint from exercise rider Rudy Gallegos. “She is like that every morning,” trainer Hal Wiggins said. Calvin Borel, who has ridden Rachel Alexandra to four consecutive daylight victories, is scheduled to work Rachel Alexandra a half-mile on Monday as their final tuneup for the Oaks.

Churchill Downs is offering daily updates on the Kentucky Oaks contenders.  Read through the notes below to see how your favorite is training up to the big race!

BE FAIR – Trainer D Wayne Lukas said Tuesday morning that Rafael Bejarano will ride Be Fair in the 135th Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) on May 1.

Owned by Thomas Van Meter and Charles Kidder, Be Fair walked the shedrow at Barn 44 a day after a five-eighths of a mile breeze.

FITZ JUST RIGHT / JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – The West Point Thoroughbreds’ Oaks hopeful duo of Fitz Just Right and Justwhistledixie are scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Wednesday afternoon after training at Keeneland.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the two fillies will be stabled in Barn 42, Stalls 8-9 upon arrival.

Justwhistledixie, whose five race win streak includes a recent victory in the Bonnie Miss (GII) at Gulfstream Park, and Fitz Just Right, runner-up in the Bourbonette Oaks (GIII) at Turfway Park, are scheduled to work on Friday and McLaughlin will be at Churchill Downs to supervise those moves.

Ramon Dominguez is slated to ride Fitz Just Right and Julien Leparoux has the mount on Justwhistledixie, whom he rode to victory in the Grade II Bonnie Miss in her most recent start on March 29.   

GABBY’S GOLDEN GIRL – Patti and Hal Earnhardt’s Gabby’s Golden Girl walked the shedrow at Barn 33 a day after working five furlongs in 1:02 for trainer Bob Baffert.

“She’s good,” said Baffert.  “She’s tough, but man, that Rachel Alexandra is something.”

Baffert said Gabby’s Golden Girl would likely work Sunday or Monday to complete her preparation for the Kentucky Oaks.

Victor Espinoza has the Oaks riding assignment.

NAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Nan galloped a mile after the renovation break with exercise rider Jose Castanon up.

Trainer Craig Dollase said that Corey Nakatani will ride Nan in the Oaks. The High Yield filly is scheduled to work Friday or Saturday.

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – L and M Partners’ Rachel Alexandra galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break under regular exercise rider Rudy Gallegos.

Calvin Borel, who has ridden Rachel Alexandra to four consecutive victories, has the Oaks riding assignment.

L & M Racing’s Rachel Alexandra did nothing to diminish her status as the possible favorite for the 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) when what was planned as an easy work on Thursday at Churchill Downs became another sizzling display of her considerable talent.

The 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro had regular jockey Calvin Borel in the saddle as she zipped five furlongs on a “fast” track in :59.40 – which tied as the fastest of 21 works at the distance.  Borel was motionless in the irons as Rachel Alexandra covered the distance in fractions of :12.60, :24.40,  :36 and :47.60.  She galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.60 and seven-eighth of a mile s in 1:24.20.

“She’s just unbelievable, and she just gets better and better and better and better,” said Borel.  “I don’t know how good she can be."

The breeze was the next-to-last piece of serious training before the May 1 Oaks.  Trainer Hal Wiggins said she would probably breeze an easy half-mile on the Monday before the race.

“She does it so easy,” Wiggins said.  “The main thing we want to do now is just keep her fresh and keep her ready.”

Rachel Alexandra won the Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park last time out – her fourth consecutive stakes victory dating back to the Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs in November.  She has six wins in nine career races and earnings of $621,440.

Other Kentucky Oaks candidates on the grounds at Churchill Downs include Arnold Zetcher, LLC’s Gabby’s Golden Gal, who scored a 13-length victory for Baffert in the Sunland Park Oaks for trainer Bob Baffert, and J. Paul Reddam’s Nan, fourth to champion Stardom Bound in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI) for trainer Craig Dollase.

GOMEZ TO RIDE STARDOM BOUND IN OAKS – Stardom Bound, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2008, will have a new jockey when she attempts to get back on the winning track in the Kentucky Oaks.  Eclipse Award winner Garrett Gomez.

Mike Smith had been aboard the champion throughout her career, including a third-place finish in the Ashland (GI) at Keeneland that snapped a string of five consecutive wins in Grade I stakes races.

IEAH Stables’ Michael Iavarone announced the rider change and said the filly, now trained by Rick Dutrow Jr., would ship to Churchill Downs next week.

McLAUGHLIN HAS PAIR OF OAKS HOPES – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has one of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks in his care in West Point Thoroughbreds’ Justwhistledixie, but there’s a chance McLaughlin could saddle a pair of fillies in the big race on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Justwhistledixie, who made Gulfstream Park’s recent Bonnie Miss (GII) her fifth consecutive victory, is considered definite for the Oaks.  But McLaughlin is also looking at the Kentucky Oaks as a possible destination for Fitz Just Right, the runner-up in the Bourbonette Oaks (GIII) at Turfway Park.

“She is training so well,” McLaughlin said about Fitz Just Right. “We were hoping to go to the Black-Eyed Susan (Grade II at Pimlico on May 15) with a fresh horse, but she is doing so well, you have to take a look at it.”

Both fillies are scheduled to work Friday morning on Keeneland’s synthetic Polytrack surface.