Trainer Todd Pletcher's two candidates for Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks worked over the Churchill main track Friday morning. Siena Farm's Angela Renee (Bernardini) was first to hit the track with John Velazquez in from Keeneland to ride and breezed a half-mile in a smart :47.80, going in fractions of :12.40 and :24.40 before galloping out five furlongs 1:00.20. StarLadies Racing's Eskenformoney (Eskendereya) followed suit with Javier Castellano calling the shots, and the filly went the half in :48.40. She broke off fast, with an opening eighth of a mile in :11.60 and remained eager through the next furlong in :12 flat. She hit the three-eighths point of the work in :36 and was out the five furlongs in 1:01.60. “I was very happy; they both went well,” Pletcher said. “We will watch the weather and they may have easy jogs in the morning.”
Condo Commando Holding Her Form
Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables' Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful) should be one of the top choices in the Oaks and did little to dissuade her backers with a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.40 Friday morning with trainer Rudy Rodriguez in the saddle. Clockers caught last year's GI Spinaway S. winner in fractions of :12.40, :24.80, :37 and :48.60. Rodriguez said that was a typical breeze for Condo Commando, whom he said was a willing workhorse. “She looked like she got over the track pretty nice,” he said. “Now she's got to do it the day of the race.” Rodriguez, a former assistant to Rick Dutrow Jr., said it was possible Condo Commando could have a blow-out leading up to the Oaks in the style of his former boss. “Maybe I'll do it. Who knows? I've got to see how she comes back and I'll let her tell me what she wants to do,” he said. “If I need to blow her out a little bit I'm going to do it. We've got a long way to go, so we'll take it day by day.”
Additional Churchill Works
In other final preps Friday over the Churchill Downs strip, Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) went five furlongs in 1:01 (:12.20, :24.20, :36.20, :48.40, out six panels in 1:15.80)…Oceanwave (Harlan's Holiday) also went five-eighths of a mile in 1:02 (:12.80, :24.40, :36, :48.60, out six furlongs in 1:18.20).
Stellar Wind Works in California
Hronis Racing's Stellar Wind (Curlin), who is expected to be one of the favorites for Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks, turned in her final work ahead of that engagement, going six furlongs in a strong 1:12.80 Friday morning at Santa Anita. John Sadler trains the former Maryland-based filly, who in her last two starts has proven far too good for the competition in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Feb. 28 and more recently the GI Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4. “Awesome,” said her regular rider, Victor Espinoza, who was aboard for the drill. “She went really good today. Last time she worked good, but this time she was amazing, exactly what John wanted. She's ready to go.”
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