CHURCHILL DOWNS BARN NOTES
Florida-bred Fiona’s Magic is ready for her jockey to don the famed Stonehedge green and white silks for owner and Florida’s Breeder of the Year Marilyn Campbell in the Kentucky Oaks following her wire-to-wire win the Grade 2 $200,000 Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park in March. Campbell’s homebred is the first stakes winner for American Pharoah’s full brother, Florida stallion St. Patrick’s Day. The Florida champion freshman sire stands at Brent and Crystal’s Journeyman Stud, and is owned in part by the duo, Marilyn Campbell and Bob and Sean Feld’s Climax Stallions. Fiona’s Magic is the stallion’s leading money earner to date with $253,410.
Calumet Farm’s Gin Gin along with Godolphin’s Tarifa both galloped about 1 ½ miles Thursday and Friday at 7:30 a.m.
Grade 3 Gulfstream Parks Oaks third-place finisher Into Champagne had an easy mile-and-three-eighths gallop Thursday morning for trainer Ian Wilkes and breezed today since her trainer was worried about a forecast for rain. Over the years, Wilkes has trained several horses with champagne in their names — including Champagne Problems, a Grade 3-winning earner of more than $400,000, Champagne Anyone, the 2019 G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks winner who finished fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, and Yes to Champagne.
“I do have a lot of 2-year-olds coming along with champagne in their names. It’s fun, it’s great. The owners love it, y’know, and that’s the main thing,” said Wilkes.
Champion filly Just F Y I had a mile and a half gallop Thursday morning at 7:30. The Bill Mott trainee is expected to be one of the favorites for the Longines Kentucky Oaks.
“She’s a beautiful filly,” Mott said. “She feels good most days in her training and gets a lot out of it.”
Whisper Hill Farm’s G1 Ashland winner Leslie’s Rose worked a half-mile in :49.40 on her own with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher. Getting into the work on her own shortly after coming on the track, Leslie’s Rose produced fractions of :13.20, :25.20 and :49.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.40 and three-quarters in 1:16.20.
“She worked really, really good,” said Ortiz, who has been aboard Leslie’s Rose in all four of her starts. Pletcher was pleased with the work. “I was very, very happy with it,” said Pletcher, a four-time Oaks winner. “She got over the ground well and galloped out strong.”
Klaravich Stables’ Regulatory Risk and Ways and Means both galloped a mile and half for trainer Chad Brown. Ways and Means galloped under Peter Roman before the first morning harrow break and worked this morning.
Regulatory Risk galloped at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday with Gudiel Alvarez in the boot and is scheduled to work Saturday at 7:30 with Jose Ortiz up.
Willis Horton Racing’s Tapit Jenallie breezed a half-mile Thursday morning in preparation for the Oaks. Jockey Manny Esquivel guided the homebred daughter of Tapit for trainer Eddie Milligan Jr., and will get the call to ride her in the Oaks. Working without company, Tapit Jenallie was timed in :49.40 with fractions of :12.80, :25, out in 1:02.40 and finishing up in 1:16.20, according to Churchill Downs Clocker Adam Wallace.
“She worked really well,” Milligan said as he held the shank while she got her cool down bath. “She did everything we wanted her to do this morning. The time was kind of where I thought she should be today. She just needed an easy breeze without taking too much out of her. Manny said she worked well. He rode her the last two times at Hot Springs (Oaklawn Park, third in the G2 Fantasy and second in the G3 Honeybee), and she’s gotten somewhat better, and has grown quite a bit. She’s really doing great.”
Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing’s Thorpedo Anna is scheduled to have her final major workout on Friday ahead of the Longines Kentucky Oaks for trainer Kenny McPeek. On Thursday, Thorpedo Anna galloped an easy mile-and-a-half. The Fast Anna filly is the winner of three of her four starts with Brian Hernandez Jr., most recently having captured the G2 Fantasy in her first start this year.
Michael McMillan’s Where’s My Ring jogged a mile before the first morning harrow break with exercise rider David Rodriguez aboard for trainer Val Brinkerhoff. Winner of the G3 Gazelle in her most recent start, Where’s My Ring is scheduled to work a half-mile in the morning with Rodriguez up.
The horses (with trainers) that are qualified for the Longines Kentucky Oaks are: Everland (Abel Cedillo, Eric Foster); Fiona’s Magic (TBA, Bo Yates); Gin Gin (TBA, Brad Cox); Into Champagne (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes); Just F Y I (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott); Lemon Muffin (Keith Asmussen, Wayne Lukas); Leslie’s Rose (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher); Power Squeeze (Daniel Centeno, Jorge Delgado); Regulatory Risk (Jose Ortiz, Chad Brown); Tapit Jenallie (Manny Esquivel, Eddie Milligan Jr.); Tarifa (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox); Thorpedo Anna (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Ways and Means (Tyler Gaffalione, Chad Brown) and Where’s My Ring (Jose Lezcano, Val Brinkerhoff).
Also-Eligibles are Manama Gold (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Our Pretty Woman (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen); Candied (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher). Also eligible for the Oaks, Victorious’ Manama Gold galloped a mile and three-eighths under Jonathan Fabian Aguilar for trainer Todd Pletcher. Pletcher said the Grade 3 UAE Oaks winner would work in the morning before making a decision on her Oaks status.
Pletcher’s other Oaks hopeful, Eclipse Thoroughbreds Partners’ Candied, worked a half-mile in company with graded stakes-placed Scalable. With jockey Luis Saez up, Candied worked to the outside of Scalable and produced fractions of :12.60, :24.20, :36.20 and :47.60 with a five-eighths gallop out of 1:00, three-quarters in 1:12.80 and seven-eighths in 1:27.40, according to Churchill Downs Clocker John Nichols.
“Very good, a good solid work,” Pletcher said. “She switched leads on cue and galloped out strong. I hope she gets in.”
Tammy A Gantt contributed to this story.
