BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Halina’s Forte, the Florida-bred winner of the $100,000 Ruthless at Aqueduct on Feb. 17, is among the prospective entrants for the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland (Grade 1) to be run at Keeneland on Friday according to Jorie Beschizza, the track’s stakes coordinator. Entries will be taken Monday.

The mile-and-one-sixteenth Ashland is for 3-year-old fillies and is a major prep race for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), offering 200 qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.

Halina’s Forte will be looking for her first points on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.

Sent to the post in the Ruthless as the slight 2-1 favorite, Halina’s Forte won the seven-furlong contest by a length-and-three-quarters. She was also second to Youalmosthadme in the $225,000 Fern Creek at Churchill Downs in November and second to Leslie’s Loot in the $100,000 Letellier Memorial at Fair Grounds on Dec. 23.

Halina’s Forte is trained by Philip Bauer for owners Richard and Tammy Rigney’s Rigney Racing LLC of Louisville, Ky. and has won half of her four career starts while banking $149,900.

She is a graduate of the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale where Woodford Thoroughbreds purchased her from Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield consignment for $130,000. Seven months later, Woodford consigned her to the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale where Chenowith Run Stables took her for $250,000.

The Vanlanendonck’s of Morriston, Fla., bred Halina’s Forte in partnership with Bill and Corinne Heilegbrodt of Houston. She is by Mitole out of Lunarlady, by Yes It’s True.

Other considering the Ashland are 2023 champion 2-year-old filly and NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)-winner Just F Y I, undefeated allowance-winner Impel and Jody’s Pride, who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and won the $200,000 Busher at Aqueduct on March 12.

Return to the March 31 issue of Wire to Wire