Hronis Racing's Stellar Wind (Curlin) hopes to provide trainer John Sadler with his first GI Kentucky Oaks victory as the morning-line favorite in a fully loaded field of 14 in Friday. The chestnut earned her diploma at second asking with an 8 3/4-length romp going a mile at Laurel for previous trainer Donald Barr and owner Barbara Houck, after which she was privately purchased and transferred to Sadler. Rallying four-wide to capture Arcadia's GII Santa Ysabel S. Feb. 28, Stellar Wind dazzled with a 5 1/4-length romp next out in the GI Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4 to stamp herself as the one to beat here. “[Exercise rider Ricardo Peniche] says she's just floated over the track,” Sadler said. “She hasn't had any problems handling it. We haven't breezed over it, but she trained really well at home before traveling. We're very excited, obviously. We're ready.”
The GII Fair Grounds Oaks has produced four of the last seven Kentucky Oaks winners, and trainer Larry Jones has saddled two of them in 2008 winner Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) and 2012 victress Believe You Can (Proud Citizen). Jones hopes to saddle his third this year in Grayson Farm's I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings). A debut winner at Keeneland for previous trainer Ken McPeek last fall, she was third in a Churchill Downs optional claimer Nov. 9 and fourth in the GII Golden Rod S. here Nov. 29. Transferred to Jones, the flashy chestnut really came into her own this season at Fair Grounds, starting with a front running success in the Silverbulletday S. Jan. 17. Coming from last to capture the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 21, I'm a Chatterbox sat a stalking trip when winning the Fair Grounds Oaks over 'TDN Rising Star' Shook Up (Tapit) and Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) Mar. 28. Champion Untapable had an undefeated sophomore season that included wins in the Rachel Alexandra and Fair Grounds Oaks prior to her Kentucky Oaks victory. Jones has another good chance to win in Brereton C. Jones's GI Ashland S. winner Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection). Kicking off this term with a Fair Grounds optional claimer win over Shook Up, the bay finished second to her stablemate in the Rachel Alexandra prior to her impressive victory over Angela Renee (Bernardini) in the Ashland Apr. 4.
Siena Farms Angela Renee hopes to provide her trainer Todd Pletcher with his third Oaks victory. The conditioner's last winner came in 2013 in the form of 37-1 shot Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior), who reeled off three more Grade I wins that season. Angela Renee won't be flying quite so under the radar as she already owns a Grade I victory in the Chandelier S. last September. Failing to fire when 10th in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1, the bay was third behind the streaking Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful) in Aqueduct's GII Demoiselle S. Nov. 29 and finished fourth in the Rachel Alexandra prior to her runner-up effort in the Ashland. The Eclipse-winning conditioner also saddles GII Gulstream Park Oaks runner-up Eskenformoney (Eskendereya).
Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables LLC and the Elkstone Group's Condo Commando is also already a Grade I winner having captured last summer's Spinaway S. at Saratoga. Flawless so far this season, the Rudy Rodriguez pupil posted front running victories in Aqueduct's Busher S. Feb. 21 and GII Gazelle S. Apr. 4. Also exiting the Gazella are runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Puca (Big Brown) and third-place finisher Money'soncharlotte (Mizzen Mast).
If Condo Commando sets the blistering pace she is expected to, Forum Racing's Birdatthewire (Summer Bird) and Brereton Jones and Timothy Thornton's Include Betty (Include) will likely be there to pick up the pieces. The Dale Romans-trained Birdatthewire broke her maiden at fourth asking over this strip last November and captured her sophomore debut in Gulfstream's GII Forward Gal S. Jan. 24. Missing by just a neck behind GIII Eight Belles S. contender Ekati's Phaeton (Tale of Ekati) in that venue's GII Davona Dale S. Feb. 21, the bay turned the tables on that rival last time with a victory in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28. “I expect her to win,” Romans said. “If it wasn't for the points system, she'd be in the Derby with them.” Trained by Tom Proctor, Include Betty followed her graduation with a win in Tampa Bay's Suncoast S. Jan. 31 and was fifth when trying the turf in that venue's GIII Florida Oaks Mar. 7. The blaze-faced chestnut came from last to earn a neck victory over Oceanwave (Harlan's Holiday) last time in Oaklawn's GIII Fantasy S. Apr. 4.
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