Nan

Follow your Oaks favorites through Churchill Downs, and make your choice on who will win tomorrow's 135th running of the Kentucky Oaks!

BE FAIR / STONE LEGACY / TWEETER – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas sent his three Kentucky Oaks entrants to the track for morning gallops before the renovation break at Churchill Downs on Thursday. The Hall of Fame trainer later acknowledged that “it’s a bad year to be in the Oaks” because of the presence of Rachel Alexandra, the odds-on morning-line favorite.

“We’re realistic. Rachel Alexandra is a super good filly. Since Winning Colors, she’s the best to come along,” said Lukas, who notched his first of four Kentucky Derby successes when Winning Colors beat the boys in 1988.

Lukas will saddle a trio of lightly experienced fillies for their clash with Rachel Alexandra. While the task of running against such a dominant filly will be an imposing one, Lukas is confident that his three fillies won’t get in each other’s way.

“When you run three, you’ve got to be careful that they don’t compromise each other. They have three different running styles,” Lukas said. “Tweeter has a style that she’ll be more forward and be close to the pace. Be Fair has good tactical speed, but will probably be mid-pack. Stone Legacy will be coming late, if there is such a thing and she has the ability.”

FLYING SPUR – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said said he is pleased with the way Flying Spur is coming up to Friday’s Grade I event at a mile and an eighth.

“She’s great,” Mott said of the daughter of the top mare Lakeway, who ran second to Sardula in the 1994 Oaks.

Flying Spur galloped once around the track Thursday morning with exercise rider Joanna Trout up. Garrett Gomez has the mount on Flying Spur, who will break from post position eight.

GABBY’S GOLDEN GAL – Arnold Zetcher’s homebred Medaglia d’Oro filly Gabby’s Golden Gal galloped a mile and half Thursday morning.

“She’s great, but Rachel Alexandra is in the race,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “It’s like knowing that you’re in there with Usain Bolt.”

Victor Espinosa will ride Gabby’s Golden Gal on Friday and break from post position four.

JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – Justwhistledixie, a daughter of Dixie Union, galloped 1 1/2 miles under Danny Wright at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning prior to the renovation break.

Justwhistledixie will be seeking her sixth straight victory when she takes on odds-on morning-line favorite Rachel Alexandra. Yet, her connections are training their filly like the odds-on morning-line favorite won’t be in the race.

“We need to just make our own game plan and stick with it. We’re going to be stalking the pace and hopefully, not too far back. We hope someone takes on Rachel Alexandra on the lead and sets a good pace,” said Neal McLaughlin, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s assistant and brother. “We’ll be sitting back in third and fourth, saving ground, hopefully, and be ready to pounce. We have to stick to our plan, and that’s the way the filly likes to run.”

McLaughlin thinks jockey Julien Leparoux will help Justwhistledixie run her own race.

“Julien is such a patient rider, that’s what I like about him. He’s cool, especially on big days like this one. He has a great record here and is coming off a super meet at Keeneland. He’s just full of confidence,” McLaughlin said. “Julien’s not going to panic. If they go fast and open up six or eight (lengths), he’s not going to go after them and worry. This filly’s running style fits Julien’s riding style. He likes to settle in and make a run, just like this filly likes to do.”

NAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Nan galloped a mile and an eighth before the renovation break under exercise rider Sergio Martin.

Listed at 20-1 on the morning line, Nan will break from post position seven in the Friday’s Oaks under two-time Oaks winner Corey Nakatani.

Nan has won one of 10 starts, but was competitive against Grade I company going two turns this winter at Santa Anita.

“She has had some rough trips,” said Aimee Dollase, who along with her father Wally is overseeing Nan’s preparations here.  “I guess the key question for tomorrow is how she handles the dirt in the afternoon. She has been training good and I guess we’ll see if she likes the mud.”

Only two of Nan’s starts have been on dirt, a ninth-place finish going six furlongs on a fast track at Saratoga last August and a fifth-place finish in an off-the-turf mile race at Aqueduct in November. Nan was trained by Mark Hennig at the time.

Dollase was asked if she could write the perfect script for Nan on Friday how it would unfold.

“I’d like to see a speed duel with Rachel Alexandra,” Dollase said. “Corey can sit sit back and let her roll. That would be ideal.”

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – After two days of walking, morning-line Kentucky Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra returned to the track Thursday morning, galloping a strong mile and a half under Rudy Gallegos.

Trainer Hal Wiggins waited until after the renovation break to bring Rachel Alexandra out for her first exercise since working a bullet half-mile in :46.40 on Monday. Rachel Alexandra stood quietly about 30 yards off the track in the gap surrounded by on-lookers and then went out about her business.

“She’s like a keg of dynamite,” Gallegos said as the duo exited the track at the clockers’ stand a short time later.

“We’re ready to go. I want to go to the paddock now,” Wiggins said. “She will not go to the track in the morning. She will get her bath about 5:15 and then we will let her relax until it is time to go over.”

Calvin Borel, who has been aboard for Rachel Alexandra’s past four victories, has the mount Friday and will break from post position six. She is 3-5 on the morning line in the field of eight.

“I’d like to see her break clean, get an easy lead and have an easy lead at the wire,” Wiggins said. “I told (D. Wayne) Lukas I was going to watch the load and make sure all three of his horses were in the gate. I didn’t want to see one of them at the half-mile pole.”

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.