Midnight Disguise (Midnight Lute) looks to punch her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks in Saturday's GII Gazelle S. at the Big A. The streaking dark bay captured the Busanda S. over this course and distance Jan. 25 and added the one-mile Busher S. here Mar. 3. The re-opposing Sara Street (Street Sense) and My Miss Lilly (Tapit) were second and third in the Busher, respectively.
“She's been doing well and I was very pleased with her coming out of the Busher,” trainer Linda Rice said of the 8-5 morning-line favorite. “I'm sure the competition will be much tougher in this race, but she's proven at the distance and she's gaining experience with every race. She's becoming more professional; switching her leads better and things like that, so we're really excited for it.”
Smokinpaddylassie (Paddy O'Prado) has kicked off her career with three straight wins, headed by Laurel's Beyond the Wire S. at a one-turn mile Mar. 17.
The Gazelle is New York's final Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier, offering 100 points to the winner, 40 to the runner-up, 20 to third place and 10 to fourth.
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