Grade I winner Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso), one of two GI Kentucky Oaks hopefuls for trainer Bob Baffert, will not contest Churchill's Classic for fillies, according to the Hall of Fame trainer on Sunday.
At 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, Bottle of Rouge who worked a half-mile in :48.80 with Martin Garcia aboard in company with the Grade III stakes-winning filly Forced Entry (Charlatan).
Last year's GI Del Mar Debutante winner started to cough shortly after returning to the barn and subsequently failed to scope cleanly, prompting Baffert to scratch her from the Oaks.
This season, Bottle of Rouge won the Feb. 15 Sunland Park Oaks and most recently Virginia Oaks at Colonial on Mar. 14.
With the defection of Bottle of Rouge, Go Go Grey Stable's Lovely Grey (Vekoma) could move into the field should her connections decide to run. She is also cross-entered in the $600,000 GII Edgewood Stakes on turf.
Military Pike Racing Stables' MSP Resist (Maclean's Music), who is the second also-eligible for the Oaks, worked a half-mile in :47.40 for trainer Tommy Drury Jr. during the 7:15-7:30 training window.
Also on Sunday's Oaks work tab was Baffert's other hopeful, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Explora (Blame), who went out at 9 a.m. with Martin Garcia up. Last year's GII Oak Leaf scorer worked five furlongs in :58.80 in company with the 3-year-old maiden Winston Ave (Quality Road). In her latest start, she won the GIII Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn on Mar. 1.
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