Four years ago, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella brought champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) to face a loaded GI Kentucky Oaks field off a win in the GI Santa Anita Oaks and the bay came up a half-length shy of Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior) after unseating her rider in the post parade. The rest is history, as later that year Beholder added the second of an eventual four Eclipse Award championship honors. A half-year after the celebrated mare captured the final start of her career in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in November, Mandella returns to Churchill Downs with another emphatic Santa Anita Oaks winner in Kentucky Oaks favorite Paradise Woods (Union Rags). While Paradise Woods is light on seasoning–with the Oaks marking just her fourth trip to post–her victory in Arcadia was nothing short of astonishing. The bay was allowed to set a clear pace over a seemingly fickle race track and never allowed any of her rivals to get close, romping home an 11 3/4-length winner. By all accounts, the Steven Sarkowsky and Pam and Martin Wygod colorbearer has made a favorable impression since arriving to Louisville Monday and looms squarely as the horse to beat Friday afternoon.
“Any horse that wins like she did surprises you,” Mandella told the Santa Anita notes team, “But it did not surprise me that she was very good. She showed us that right from the start.”
Paradise Woods will make just her second start over a route of ground in the Oaks, however, and a number of her chief rivals possess far more experience in that department. Coffeepot Stables' Farrell (Malibu Moon) is a perfect four-for-four around two turns, book-ended by wins in the GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill last November and the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Apr. 1 for trainer Wayne Catalano. The dark bay possesses tactical speed and is drawn to the outside of Paradise Woods, giving pilot Channing Hill plenty of options.
“Hopefully it's all coming together,” Hill said. “I'm really happy with the post. I'm just going to let her break and run into the first turn.”
Arlenes Sun Star Stable's Miss Sky Warrior (First Samurai) rides a similar hot streak into Friday's affair, having won five races in a row, culminating with a devastating 13-length romp in the GII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct Apr. 8. The Kelly Breen trainee owns two wins at the nine-furlong trip of the Oaks and figures to also be prominent in the early stages of the race beneath Paco Lopez.
Should a contested pace materialize, there is no shortage of viable late runners positioned in the outside of the starting gate. Gary Barber and Baccari Racing Stable's Salty (Quality Road) impressed with a 4 1/4-length score in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Apr. 1–her first try around two turns and second since being acquired privately and sent to trainer Mark Casse. She breaks one stall to the outside of China Horse Club's Abel Tasman (Quality Road), who was similarly a private purchase from Clearsky Farms after capturing the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos last December. Now with Bob Baffert, Abel Tasman lagged well off the pace and closed belatedly to check in a distant second in the GI Santa Anita Oaks. She adds blinkers Friday.
GI Ashland S. upsetter Sailor's Valentine (Mizzen Mast) seeks to notch a Grade I double from post eight, while runner-up Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) figures to get a hotter pace to set up her late run Friday. Rail-drawn Ever So Clever (Medaglia d'Oro) also enters off a late-running win in Oaklawn's GIII Fantasy S. Apr. 14.
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