AGE OF HUMOR – Bluegrass Equine Center, Sky Chai
Stable and Twin Creeks Farm’s Age of Humor galloped Thursday morning at
the Trackside Training Center under exercise rider Marvin Jiminez.
Trainer Mike Maker now plans to work Age of Humor five furlongs
on Friday at Trackside. He moved that schedule up one day because of
impending rain. .She will work in company with Kentucky Derby candidate
Dean’s Kitten, as she did last week.
AILALEA/DEVIL MAY CARE – Starlight Partners Ailalea
and Glencrest Farm’s Devil May Care both galloped a mile and a quarter
after the renovation break. Fernando Espinoza was on Ailalea, who also
visited the starting gate, and Horacio De Paz was on Devil May Care.
Trainer Todd Pletcher plans to work both fillies this weekend with weather determining which day he goes.
Devil May Care could still wind up in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) field instead of the Kentucky Oaks.
“She is training great and doing very well, which is what you want to see from her,” Pletcher said.
A decision on the choice of Oaks or Derby for Devil May Care will be made after the weekend work.
John Velazquez has the call on Devil May Care if she goes in the Oaks. No rider has been confirmed for Ailalea.
AMEN HALLELUJAH – IEAH Stables, Whizway Farms and Robert Teel’s Amen Hallelujah galloped after the renovation break under Michelle Nevin.
Trainer Rick Dutrow plans to work the two-time graded stakes winner Friday morning. Julien Leparoux has the call for the Oaks.
BEAUTICIAN – Peter Callahan’s Beautician returned
to the track for the first time since a Tuesday work and jogged a mile
and galloped a mile under exercise rider Marvin Abrego.
Trainer Ken McPeek’s filly worked in-company with Kentucky Derby
(GI) contender Noble’s Promise on Tuesday, completing five furlongs in
1:00.40.
CHAMPAGNE D’ORO – Southern Equine’s Champagne d’Oro
jogged a mile and galloped a mile under Froylan Garcia shortly after
the Churchill Downs main track opened for training at 5:45 a.m. (all
times EDT).
Trainer Eric Guillot plans to work Champagne d’Oro on Saturday, “but
I could move it up a day if it looks like the weather is going to be
real bad.”
Martin Garcia is slated to ride Champagne d’Oro in the Oaks.
CRISP – Michael Talla’s Crisp galloped under exercise rider Lupillo Alferez for trainer John Sadler.
Crisp, who will have the saddle services of Joel Rosario in the
Oaks, is scheduled to work Friday, but Sadler may push it back a day
because of weather concerns.
JODY SLEW – Martin Racing Stable and Dan Morgan’s
Jody Slew galloped after the renovation break under regular exercise
rider Eddie Corerra.
Miguel Mena is scheduled to ride Jody Slew in the Oaks. The filly is scheduled to work Friday morning.
QUIET TEMPER / SASSY IMAGE – The two Kentucky Oaks
candidates in the care of trainer and Louisville, Ky. native Dale
Romans – Mark Stanley’s Quiet Temper and Jerry Romans’ Sassy Image –
are now set for works on Friday in preparation for the 136th running of
the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) seven days later.
Quiet Temper, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII), had been set
for a Friday work all along, but the schedule has changed a couple of
times this week for Sassy Image, who has yet, in Romans’ mind, to earn
a spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate.
Sassy Image won the Golden Rod (GII) and Pocahontas (GIII) last fall
at Churchill Downs, but has not raced since a fifth-place finish behind
potential Oaks rival Amen Hallelujah in the Davona Dale (GIII) at
Gulfstream Park. Friday’s work will likely determine whether she runs
in next week’s race.Sassy Image galloped Thursday under exercise rider
Ramiro Corleto, while Quiet Temper galloped under exercise rider Javier
Tapia.
SEEKING THE TITLE – Charles Fipke’s Seeking the
Title worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 under exercise rider Pedro Velez
after the renovation break. The move was the seventh fastest of 19 at
the distance over a fast track.
Fractions for the solo work were :13.20, :25.60, :38, :50 and out six furlongs in 1:15.80.
“It was an excellent work; easy the first part of it and finishing
strong,” said trainer Dallas Stewart, who saddled Lemons Forever to win
the Kentucky Oaks in 2006.
SHEER BEAUTY – L.T.B. Inc. and Miles Childers’
Sheer Beauty, galloped under Mario Convento for veteran trainer and
co-owner Bernie Flint, who is increasingly pessimistic about her
chances to make it into the overflow field for the Kentucky Oaks.
Sheer Beauty is tied with Seeking the Title with $21,000 in graded
stakes earnings – money earned when the 3-year-old fillies finished in
a dead-heat for third behind Quiet Temper in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
The two fillies are tied for 20th in graded stakes earnings, while the
Kentucky Oaks is limited to 14 starters.
TIDAL POOL – Westrock Stables’ Tidal Pool galloped after the renovation break under exercise rider Leeanne Bates.
Scheduled Kentucky Oaks 136 arrivals: Bella Diamante (4-24), Blind
Luck (4-24), Joanie’s Catch (4-26), Evening Jewel (4-27), It’s Tea Time
(undetermined).