Following the victory of Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality) in the 2004 GI Kentucky Derby, trainer John Servis celebrated with a pizza pie in his Louisville hotel room. The fare was the same, though the ambience slightly different, as the 57-year-old and his entourage dined at a local pizzeria following Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss)'s outstanding victory in Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks.
“We didn't have any place to go,” Servis said shortly after his arrival at the barn at 7 a.m. “We were trying to think of a pizza joint, but we wanted to have a couple of cocktails, and we didn't know any pizza places you could go and have a beer, so [Buckhead Restaurant] was where we went. We didn't get there until after nine, and everybody kind of crashed–yawning and exhausted–it hit everybody at once.”
Servis and his employees reported that Cathryn Sophia was none the worse for wear following her defeat of Land Over Sea (Bellamy Road) and reported that the options for the immediate future had been thrown somewhat up into the air. The conditioner said that Cathryn Sophia would be shipped to Delaware Park Monday and that she could participate in the GI Acorn S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard June 11, but that as of Saturday morning, nothing was etched in stone.
“I don't know..we'll see how she is doing,” Servis said. “I'll let her tell me. If she is happy, continues to do as she is or even go forward, then we will probably go to the Acorn. And the reason I say I don't know is that after yesterday that happened to open up a whole lot of avenues. Now I'm starting to think, wow, do I even want to shorten her back up to a one-turn mile after that race. There's a lot to think about.”
Trainer Doug O'Neill was not dismayed with the performance of Land Over Sea, who came from well behind to earn the runner-up check on the wire and was also pronounced in good order Saturday morning.
“Unbelievable,” the conditioner said. “Her legs are ice cold. She cleaned up everything in her tub last night and she looks ready to go again. We're very proud of her. She ran a terrific race.”
O'Neill suggested the Paul Reddam runner could head to Baltimore for the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 20, though a return to California remains an option.
Lewis Bay (Bernardini), who could not capitalize on a perfect inside trip in the Oaks and settled for third, is headed back to the Big Apple, with plans for the immediate future uncertain.
“I was happy with the race,” trainer Chad Brown said of the GII Gazelle S. winner. “She was a bit eager, but that's just her. She's very competitive. I thought we were in a good position. But, once they turned into the stretch and the winner took off, we were all running for second at that point. It's just a shame that [Lewis Bay] got nailed late for second.”
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