Martha Washington Stakes

Having just broken her maiden over course and distance in her fifth try last out Dec. 27, Search Party stepped right up Friday to win the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park, earning herself 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Clearly comfortable on the Oaklawn surface as she debuted a winner on it in that late December route, the 4-1 shot had shown versatility in prior starts at both Churchill Downs and Ellis Park, only missing the board once when sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at first asking...

The English polymath John Ruskin, who was always hard at work scribbling a well-timed observation for some future generation to co-opt, said when it came to the weather, "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." Well, bully for you Mr. Ruskin! Send him a going stick and put him to work on the nearest turf course. Some might care to offer quite a different observation after recent events. What...

Multiple Grade I-placed Quietside (Malibu Moon) will be targeted to make her sophomore debut in the Jan. 25 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park, trainer John Ortiz confirmed Sunday. The Shortleaf Stable homebred, tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following her 6 1/4-length debut win at Saratoga in August, was second behind expected 2-year-old filly champion Immersive (Nyquist) in the GI Spinaway Stakes and was third behind that foe while making her two-turn debut in the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes. She was most recently seen finishing second in the GII Golden...

Oaklawn Park, forced to cancel a number of race dates this month--including this coming weekend's live racing--due to winter weather, has moved the entire GIII Southwest S. card to Saturday, Feb. 3. A GI Kentucky Derby points race, the $800,000 Southwest is worth 20 points to the winner and points on a scale of 10-6-4-2 to the second- through fifth-place finishers. Although the Southwest was originally scheduled for Jan. 27 and racing is currently scheduled for that date, several stakes races have been reshuffled at the Hot Springs oval due...

Secret Oath stamped herself as a major player on the GI Kentucky Oaks trail with her second straight eye-catching victory at Oaklawn Park. Breaking her maiden Oct. 31 by over five lengths beneath the Twin Spires in her second career start, Secret Oath came up empty finishing a well-beaten fifth in the GII Golden Rod S. next out Nov. 27. After dominating her allowance rivals with a visually impressive score with first-time Lasix last out Dec. 31 at Oaklawn Park, she returned just as brilliantly here. Coming off Lasix for...

TARAZ (f, 3, Into Mischief--Silk Route, by Empire Maker) Oaklawn, 2-1, Martha Washington S., 1m, 1:38.64. The unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' and Oaklawn winner owes her name to a smart historical/geographical connection. The 3-year-old is out of the mare Silk Route. The 2000-year-old city of Taraz (now in Kazakhstan) was a major trade center in the inland regions of the Silk Route, which was a series of ancient trade networks that connected China and the Far East with countries in Europe and the Middle East. Sharp, sophisticated name. An Italian...

Taraz earned the 'TDN Rising Star' moniker after romping by 7 1/2 lengths in her Churchill Downs unveiling Nov. 14 and made good on that initial promise with an 11 1/4-length tour de force in the Letellier Memorial S. in the slop at the Fair Grounds Dec. 21. Heavily favored to continue her hot streak in this sophomore bow, the Juddmonte homebred went straight to the front, cruising through early splits of :23.44 and :47.50. Still just cantering along as she turned for home in front, Taraz sauntered home to...