Stardom Bound

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.

Stewart Armstrong’s favored Dream Play cruised to an early lead over a sloppy track at Aqueduct was never seriously challenged as she romped to a 5 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s $147,000 Comely (Grade III).

The race marked Dream Play’s first try at a distance beyond six furlongs and her initial run over a wet racing surface, but the daughter of Hennessy passed both tests beautifully as she covered the mile distance in 1:39.51 under jockey Eddie Castro.  The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee won for the third time in five races and pushed her career earnings to $186,406.

“My opinion was to go onto the lead,” said Castro. “She’s run good on the lead, but not so good when she’s not in front. I was able to get up pretty easily and when I asked her, she kicked in.”

Don’t Forget Gil, an easy winner of the Florida Oaks (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs last time out, finished second and Holdontoyourdream was third.

The Comely result was a major disappointment for IEAH Stable’s Laragh, winner of the Hollywood Starlet (GI) and third to champion Stardom Bound in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.  The John Terranova-trained daughter of Tapit was making her 3-year-old debut in the Comely and a strong effort could have landed her a start in the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks (GI) at Churchill Downs on May 1.  Laragh chased Dream Play early, but faded in the stretch and finished last in the field of five 3-year-old fillies.

Despite her impressive Comely win, Dream Play is not a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks.  She could make her next start in the $150,000 Nassau County at a mile at Belmont Park on Kentucky Derby Day, May 2.  The Grade I Acorn at a mile on June 6 will also be considered.

KENTUCKY/JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE WORKS TOWARD KENTUCKY OAKS AT KEENELAND – West Point Thoroughbreds’ streaking Justwhistledixie continued her preparation for the Kentucky Oaks with a four-furlong work on Friday, April 10 over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland.

The winner of five consecutive races worked a half-mile in :50.40.  The daughter of Dixie Union, who is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, won the Bonnie Miss (GII) and Davona Dale (GII), both at Gulfstream Park, in her most recent outings. 

Justwhistledixie was the favorite over champion Stardom Bound and Fantasy (GII) winner Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wage In March.

Stardom Bound Back On Track – Stardom Bound, America’s reigning 2-year-old filly champion, jogged Sunday at Keeneland in her first trip to the track since her upset loss in the $400,000 Ashland (GI) over the Lexington track on April 7.

Her third-place finish behind 24-1 shot Hooh Why in the 1 1/16-mile Ashland snapped a string of five consecutive Grade I stakes victories for the Rick Dutrow Jr.-trained Stardom Bound.

L & M Racing's Rachel Alexandra may have earned the role of favorite in the 135th Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) on May 1 at Churchill Downjs when she romped to an effortless 8 ½-length romp in the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (GII) at Oaklawn Park.

The Hal Wiggins-trained daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, the 1-9 favorite in a field of five 3-year-old fillies, never had an anxious moment as she galloped to victory under jockey Calvin Borel.  She covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.36.  It was the fourth consecutive victory for Rachel Alexandra, a streak that began with a victory in the Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs last fall.

"I really don't know how good she is," Borel said.  "She's never been pressured yet, and if she stays like she is, I don't know if she'll ever be pressured.  She's unbelievable."

Wiggins said Rachel Alexandra would ship to Churchill Downs on Wednesday to continue her preparation for the Kentucky Oaks.

Afleet Deceit finished second in the Fantasy, three lengths in front of Just Jenda.

Rachel Alexandra was such a heavy favorite that Oaklawn Park did not allow show wagering in the Fantasy, but still had to pay out a minus win pool of $3,382 and a minus place pool of $227,722.

MIDWEST/HOOH WHY KNOCKS OFF STARDOM BOUND IN ASHLAND - Longshot Hooh Why jumped to the lead at the start and never surrendered that position on her way to a 24-1 upset victory in Saturday's $400,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.

Runner-up Gozzip Girl was flying at the finish, but fell a neck shy of catching the winner, while reigning juvenile filly champion Stardom Bound finished third under regular jockey Mike Smith.  The loss by Stardom Bound snapped a string of five consecutive victories in Grade I races by the champion.

"I'm at a loss for words, really.  It certainly wasn't her 'A' game," said Smith, "She got away slow, but she always does.  Actually it (the pace) was good for her.  They were going slow, but she's closed on a slow pace before."

Jockey Corey Lanerie picked up the mount on Hooh Why when jockey Rene Douglas took off his mounts at Keeneland earlier in the day. The move resulted in Lanerie's first Grade I win. The winner covered 1 1/16 miles over the synthetic Polytrack surface in 1:43.80 for trainer Donna Dupuy.

Hooh Why went off at long odds despite near-miss against Stardom Bound in her previous race in the Santa Anita Oaks, where she finished third, just a head back of the champion.

Evita Argentina, a winner over males in the San Vicente (GII) at Santa Anita last time out, heads a field of seven 3-year-old fillies in Wednesday's $150,000 Beaumont (GII) at Keeneland.

The John Sadler-trained fllly will break from the rail post under Garrett Gomez in the Beaumont, which is run at the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs, 184 feet.  Multiple stakes winner Selva appears to be Evita Argentina's main rival in the Beaumont.

EAST/LARAGH PREPS FOR COMELY - Hollywood Starlet (GI) winner Laragh prepped for an expected start in Saturday's Comely (GII) at Aqueduct with a five-furlong work on Sunday at Belmont Park.

The John Terranova II trainee covered the distance in 1:00.20 over a "fast" track in preparation for her first start of the year.  The gray filly is being pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks.

L & M Racing’s Rachel Alexandra, a dominant winner of Churchill Downs’ Golden Rod (GII) and Oaklawn Park’s Martha Washington in her last two starts, will be the odds-on choice when she faces five rivals in Saturday’s $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II) at Fair Grounds.

If the Hal Wiggins-trained daughter of Medaglia d’Oro wins the 1 1/16-mile race, she will  to emulate 2008 Fair Grounds Oaks winner Proud Spell, who went on to win the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks (GI), America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, and earn the Eclipse Award that honored her as America’s finest 3-year-old filly.

Regular rider Calvin Borel will be in the irons aboard Rachel Alexandra, who is the odds-on favorite at odds of 4-5.

Heiligbrodt Stable’s Four Gifts, the Steve Asmussen-trained runner-up to injured stablemate War Echo in the Silverbulletday (GIII) at Fair Grounds, is the second choice at 5-2.  Others in the field include Our Dahlia, African Skies, Flying Spur and War Tigress.

WEST/STARDOM BOUND LIKELY TO STAY WITH FILLIES, TARGET KENTUCKY OAKS – Although she scored a fifth consecutive victory in Grade I stakes competition, last week’s narrow victory by 2008 2-year-old filly champion Stardom Bound in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI) was apparently not enough to keep her on course for a possible run against males in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) and, perhaps, a bid for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

Stardom Bound rallied to win the Santa Anita Oaks by a nose, but majority owner IEAH Stable had hoped to see more progress by the gray Tapit filly.  IEAH President Michael Iavarone said Monday the champion would now be pointed toward the Ashland (GI) at Keeneland, and a big run there would likely earn her a shot at the May 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

“We have to think of her welfare and do what’s in her best interest,” said Iavarone. “What we were looking for in the Santa Anita Oaks and what we didn’t see is a leap forward.” 

Third Dawn, the John Sadler-trained Santa Anita Oaks runner-up at odds of 35-1, is also being pointed toward the Ashland Stakes.

OAKS NOTES – Brereton Jones’ Proud Spell, winner of the 2008 Kentucky Oaks, was upset by Superior Storm in her debut as a 4-year-old on Thursday at Oaklawn Park.  The Larry Jones trainee finished second as she could not catch the pacesetting winner over a muddy track. … Rags to Riches, the winner of the 2007 Kentucky Oaks who would later beat eventual ‘Horse of the Year’ Curlin, Hard Spun and other males in the Belmont Stakes (GI), delivered her first foal – a filly by Giant’s Causeway – on Monday at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky.