AGE OF HUMOR – Twin Creek Farm’s Age of Humor,
runner-up in the Bourbonette (GIII) on synthetic Polytrack at Turfway
Park in her most recent start, turned in another sharp work over the
traditional dirt surface at Trackside Louisville training center on
Friday. Now trainer Mike Maker hopes the daughter of Distorted Humor
can somehow get lucky enough to find a way into the starting gate for
the race.
Age of Humor worked for the second consecutive week with Maker’s
Kentucky Derby contender Dean’s Kitten, winner of the Lane’s End
Stakes, and the duo completed five furlongs over sloppy going in
1:01.20.
Exercise rider Derrick Small was aboard Age of Humor as the filly
worked outside of Dean’s Kitten over the six-furlong surface and carved
out fractions of :11.20, :22.60, :35.60 and :47.80 and galloped out six
furlongs in 1:17.60, finishing the gallop-out about a length in front
of her 3-year-old male work mate.
Maker loves the progress Age of Humor has made in the weeks since
the Bourbonette, but she remains on the outside-looking-in regarding a
run in the Oaks. Her total graded earnings total is $39,400 – which
ranks her 19th on a list of at least 23 fillies still seeking one of
the 14 slots available in the Oaks starting gate. Preference is given
to fillies with the highest earnings in graded stakes events. “I
just hope the filly draws in,” Maker said. “She’s doing exceptionally
well.”
AILALEA/DEVIL MAY CARE – Starlight Partners Ailalea
worked five furlongs over a track rated as “sloppy” in 1:00 with Larry
Melancon up in company with Colizeo.
Cractions on the work were :12.40, :24.40, :36.40, :48 and out six
furlongs in 1:14. The work was the second fastest of 21 at the distance.
After the work by the five-eighths pole, Colizeo stumbled and
unseated his rider but did not get loose.“Horse and rider are OK,” said
trainer Todd Pletcher, who heard the emergency siren go off when the
rider was dumped. “You can’t see a whole lot back here, but I knew who
it was.”
Pletcher said it was the regular work day for Ailalea and he came close to working Glencrest Farm’s Devil May Care.
"I was hoping that Butch (Churchill Downs Vice President, Track
Lehr) would be able to harrow the track at the break and I would have
worked Devil May Care,” Pletcher said. “But the rain just kept coming
and he couldn’t do it.”Devil May Care, who galloped a mile and a
quarter under Horacio de Paz, is slated to work either Saturday or
Sunday. She is being considered as a candidate for both the Kentucky
Oaks and the Kentucky Derby.
AMEN HALLELUJAH – IEAH Stables, Whizway Farms and
Robert Teel’s Amen Hallelujah jogged under Julien Leparoux as trainer
Rick Dutrow opted not to work the filly over the “sloppy” going.
BEAUTICIAN – Peter Callahan’s Beautician galloped under exercise rider Marvin Abrego after the renovation break.
Beautician is scheduled to work Monday.
BELLA DIAMANTE – Lone Star Stables’ Bella Diamante worked a bullet five furlongs in :58 at Lone Star Park on Friday morning.
“We’re coming to the Oaks,” trainer Allen Milligan said after the
work that was the best of 14 at the distance. “We will be in there
Sunday and Mike Smith will ride.
Bella Diamante will be housed in Barn 22.
BLIND LUCK – Mark DeDomenico, John Carver and Jerry
Hollendorfer’s three-time Grade I winner Blind Luck worked six
furlongs in 1:14.80 at Hollywood Park on Friday morning.
Trained by two-time Kentucky Oaks winner Hollendorfer, Blind Luck is
scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Saturday. Rafael Bejarano will
ride Blind Luck in the Oaks.
CHAMPAGNE D’ORO – Southern Equine’s Champagne d’Oro
jogged a mile and galloped a mile under Froylan Garcia early Friday
morning over a “wet-fast” track.
Trainer Eric Guillot plans to work Champagne d’Oro on Saturday morning with Miguel Mena handling the riding duties.
CRISP – Michael Talla’s Crisp, working in company
with stablemate Mona de Momma, worked six furlongs in 1:14.60 over a
sloppy track after the morning renovation break.
With Joe Talamo in the saddle, Crisp recorded fractions of :25.60, :38, :50.20, 1:02 and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:28.40.
It was a little hard to see with all the tents in the infield, but I
thought she went well,” trainer John Sadler said. “Joe (Talamo) thought
she handled the track very well.”
Mona de Momma, also owned by Talla, is a 4-year-old filly scheduled
to run in the $300,000-added Humana Distaff (GI) at seven furlongs on
May 1.
EVENING JEWEL – The Braly Family Trust’s Evening
Jewel worked five furlongs in :59.40 on Friday morning at Santa Anita.
The move was the fastest of 27 at the distance.
Trained by Jim Cassidy, Evening Jewel is scheduled to return to
Kentucky on Tuesday for her run in the Oaks. Three weeks ago, she
shipped to Keeneland where she won the Central Bank Ashland Stakes
(GI). Kent Desormeaux is scheduled to ride Evening Jewel in the Oaks.
IT’S TEA TIME – Alex Campbell Jr.’s It’s Tea Time worked five furlongs in company with Banner Year in 1:02 at Keeneland on Friday morning.
“We were going to come over there, but it seemed like everybody was
coming here,” trainer Rusty Arnold said from Keeneland. “I talked to
Jack (assistant Jack Bohannan) and he said the rain was getting worse
as the morning went on.
“More rain was forecast for Saturday and Sunday, so we just went ahead and worked her here and she worked terrific.”
Arnold said that It’s Tea Time would gallop in the first set Sunday
morning at Keeneland and, if all is well, would then board a van with a
scheduled 10 a.m. arrival at Churchill Downs.
"She will school in the paddock there Sunday afternoon,” Arnold said
of It’s Tea Time, who will be ridden in the Kentucky Oaks by Alan
Garcia. Garcia rode It’s Tea Time to a runner-up finish in the Central
Bank Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland in her most recent start.
JODY SLEW – Martin Racing Stable and Dan Morgan’s
Jody Slew put in her final work for the Kentucky Oaks by covering a
half-mile in :48.40 under jockey Miguel Mena.
“She’s definitely 110 percent,” said Mena, who rode and worked Jody
Slew all winter in New Orleans at Fair Grounds. “She handled everything
well out there today.”
Fractions for the work were :24.40, :36.20 and out five furlongs in 1:01.20.
“Everything is good here; the work was very good,” said Dennis
“Peaches” Geier, assistant to trainer Bret Calhoun. “She may walk the
next two days and then gallop up to the race.”
QUIET TEMPER / SASSY IMAGE – Mark Stanley’s Quiet
Temper continued her strong training toward the 136th Kentucky Oaks one
week from today, but Friday’s sloppy racing surface prompted trainer
Dale Romans to delay a crucial work for his other Kentucky Oaks
candidate, Jerry Romans’ Sassy Image, and time appears to be quickly
running out for her Oaks hopes.
Quiet Temper worked an easy five furlongs in 1:03.60during the
special 15-minute training session for Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby
contenders. The daughter of Quiet American was recorded in fractional
times of :13.40, :26.80, :39 and :51.60. Jockey Robby Albarado, who
will be aboard in the Kentucky Oaks, was in the saddle as Quiet Temper
galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.60.
“We slowed her down this week,” Romans said. “She worked fast last
week. We just slowed her down and took it easy. She’s plenty fit and
has had plenty of races and has enough foundation. Robby liked the way
she went and said she finished really well for him.”
Sassy Image, the winner of last fall’s Golden Rod (GII) and
Pocahontas (GIII) at Churchill Downs, galloped over the sloppy footing
on Friday. Time is running out for a serious move before the Oaks by
Sassy Image, who has not run since a dull fifth-place finish behind
Oaks contender Amen Hallelujah in the Davona Dale (GII) at Gulfstream
Park on Feb. 27.
"I didn’t work her in the mud, and I’m not going to,” Romans said.
“If I don’t get a fast track in the next couple of days, she’s not
going to make the race.”
SEEKING THE TITLE – Charles Fipke’s Seeking the Title walked the shedrow at Barn 35 a day after working five furlongs in 1:01.80.
SHEER BEAUTY – L.T.B. Inc. and Miles Childers’ Sheer Beauty galloped before the renovation break under Mario Convento.
TIDAL POOL – Westrock Stables’ Tidal Pool galloped after the renovation break under Leeanne Bates.
Scheduled Kentucky Oaks 136 arrivals: Blind Luck (4-24), Bella
Diamante (4-25), Joanie’s Catch (4-26, works at Calder on Saturday),
Evening Jewel (4-27), It’s Tea Time (4/25).