Photo: Oaklawn Park
Martha
Washington Stakes winner Amie’s Dini continues to be a “happy horse”
according to trainer Ron Moquett, and he can point to the fast workout
the 3-year-old filly
turned in Wednesday morning at Oaklawn as evidence one week out from
her next start in the $300,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2).
“She
was fantastic,” said Moquett after the daughter of Bandini blitzed a
half-mile in 47 4/5 over a fast track drying out from overnight
thunderstorms. Owned by Mike
Walker and Lou Sutterfield, she was ridden by her regular jockey Jon
Court and the work was easily the fastest of the eight workers breezing
that distance. Moquett caught the five-furlong gallop-out in 1:00 3/5
and pulling up through six furlongs in 1:12 3/5.
There wasn’t much of a plan for this workout beyond letting Amie’s Dini do what she wanted – within reason.
“She
did it all on her own because I told Jon to let her do whatever made
her happy,” said Moquett. “She went that fast, but it was in hand and we
didn’t ask her for anything.
She could have done a lot more.”
The
Fantasy will likely be a rematch of last month’s Honeybee Stakes (G3)
when On Fire Baby wore down Amie’s Dini at the same 1 1/16th-mile
distance of next
Wednesday’s contest. If On Fire Baby opts to race in the Fantasy and
not the Arkansas Derby three days later, the field will likely be on the
short side. Moquett has that in the back of his mind, but he isn’t
worried yet about race strategy.
“My
job right now is to get her as prepared to race next Wednesday and to
be as prepared as we can be,” he said. “Once we know who is in the race,
then we’ll get all tactical.”
Part
of those tactics may involve J. Lee Didier’s Livi Makenzie, a winner of
an optional allowance Feb. 25 who was being pointed toward the Ashland
Stakes (G1) at Keeneland
Saturday, but was kept home in Hot Springs.
“We
wanted to give her shot on synthetics, but it ended up being a shot
with the best, proven synthetic fillies and that’s skipping a couple
steps,” said Moquett.
Now,
depending on the moves others make, Livi Makenzie could land in the
Fantasy or the $100,000 Instant Racing Stakes on Friday April 13.