An Early Look at Some Kentucky Oaks Contenders

The Kentucky Derby’s sister race, the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), will be run May 3. Like the Derby itself, this race will see three preps in the coming weekend, with the Forward Gal taking place at Gulfstream Park, the Busanda happening at Aqueduct, and the Martha Washington highlighting at Oaklawn Park.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Jaywalk (Servis) has worked twice in Florida since her romping score at Churchill Downs. She was 5-1 when she took the Juvenile Fillies by 5 ½ lengths over Restless Rider, Vibrance, and Bellafina. Recently named the Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Filly, Jaywalk is targeting the March 2 Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park for her return.

Bellafina (Callaghan) has already made her 2019 debut, winning the Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita by a romping 8 ½ lengths on January 6. She is four for six lifetime and is already a dual grade 1 winner at Del Mar and Santa Anita last summer and fall. Bellafina went favored in the Breeders’ Cup but finished a disappointing fourth. She is likely to run in the Las Virgenes (G2) at Santa Anita on February 9, along with Mother Mother (Baffert), who was second in the Santa Ynez.

Another California-based filly to watch is Chasing Yesterday (Baffert), the Tapit half-sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Unraced since winning the Starlet Stakes (G1) at Los Alamitos on December 8, Chasing Yesterday has recorded two 2019 works so far.

Needs Supervision (O’Dwyer) won the Fair Grounds first Oaks prep, the Silverbulletday Stakes on January 19. Fourth in that race was Liora, who has 11 points towards the Oaks already following her win in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) November 24 at Churchill Downs. Restless Rider, a grade 1 winner in 2018 who ran second in both the Juvenile Fillies and the Golden Rod, has not worked since late November. The daughter of Distorted Humor was a $150,000 yearling purchase and has already earned back over $780,000. Serengeti Empress (Amoss), a grade 2 winner at Churchill Downs who ran seventh in the Breeders’ Cup, recently returned to full training at the Fair Grounds and breezed for the first time this year on January 27.

The three races this weekend all have historical Oaks implications. In 2009, Rachel Alexandra used the Martha Washington as a stepping stone to her brilliant season, which included a 20 ¼-length score in the Kentucky Oaks. Oaklawn’s one-mile race is the first of their series towards the Oaks, which includes the Honeybee (G3) in March and the Fantasy Stakes (G3) in April. The Forward Gal Stakes produced 2016 Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia, while the Busanda Stakes is responsible for 2013 heroine Princess of Sylmar.