Champion Take Charge Brandi's injury took the national focus off the 3-year-old filly division at Oaklawn Park. Just the same, the Hot Springs track has rooting interests in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks.
Oaklawn stakes winners Include Betty and Sarah Sis are among those eligible under a points system for a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. The field is limited to 14 when entries are drawn Tuesday.
Include Betty ranks sixth with 100 points, which she earned with a neck victory April 4 in Oaklawn's Grade 3 $400,000 Fantasy. Tom Proctor trains the chestnut filly for former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones and Timothy Thornton, Jones the sole owner of Oaks hopeful and Grade 1 Ashland winner Lovely Maria.
Rosemary Homeister Jr., a past Eclipse Award-winning apprentice, gave Include Betty a spirited ride in the Fantasy, coming from last of 11 early to outduel Achiever's Legacy in the stretch and hold off the fast-closing Oceanwave at the wire.
Oceanwave, trained by Wayne Catalano, is seventh with 60 points, winning early in the Oaklawn season before Grade 3 seconds in the Honeybee and the Fantasy. Oceanwave races in the colors of Gary and Mary West, owners of 2003 Arkansas Derby winner Rockamundo, and switches to jockey Rafael Bejarano for the Oaks.
Honeybee winner Sarah Sis is ninth with 54 points and Achiever's Legacy 16th with 27 points, the latter needing two defections to make the field. Ingrid Mason trains Sarah Sis for Joe Ragsdale, while Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer conditions Achiever's Legacy for a group including Camden's Richard Robertson. Julio Felix rode Sarah Sis at Oaklawn while Joe Rocco Jr. had the Fantasy mount on Achiever's Legacy.
Condo Commando and I'm a Chatterbox tied with 161 points after a 31-race series that awarded points to the top four finishers in each event. Condo Commando, trained by Rudy Rodriguez, received the No. 1 ranking because of more non-restricted stakes earnings ($715,000) than I'm a Chatterbox ($430,714), although the latter could be the Oaks favorite after a strong Fair Grounds campaign. Kentucky-based Larry Jones trains both I'm a Chatterbox, owned by Fletcher and Carolyn Grey, and Lovely Maria.
Take Charge Brandi, Oaklawn's Martha Washington winner Jan. 31 in her 3-year-old debut, was removed from Oaks consideration with a knee chip detected while in training for a local start against males in the Grade 2 Rebel March 14. Earning $1,633,726 for Marshall owner Willis Horton and trained by Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas, Take Charge Brandi is pointed to a racing comeback later this year. She earned 40 points from four consecutive stakes victories starting in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at California's Santa Anita Park.
Also passing up the Oaks is Pangburn, early-season Oaklawn winner and Honeybee third-place finisher for Hot Springs lumberman John Ed Anthony. Trainer Ken McPeek is eyeing the Grade 3 $150,000 Edgewood on the Oaks undercard for the late-running Pangburn, a second-out runner-up in a Churchill Downs stake in early September.
* Three-time Oaklawn winner Mal Guapo jumps from the claiming ranks to the Grade 3 $250,000 Texas Mile tonight at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. J.R. Caldwell claimed the 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding for $32,000 from its March 28 victory at six furlongs, Oaklawn leader Chris Hartman winning off his $25,000 claim Feb. 14. Mal Guapo, a two-time early-season winner for trainer Kim Puhl, is 20-1 in the morning line with Iram Diego riding from outside post 11.
The Peter Walder-trained stakes winner Sr. Quisqueyano is 7-5 program favorite for the Texas Mile from post nine under Edgard Zayas. Evan's Calling (15-1), a four-time Oaklawn winner trained by Brad Cox, goes from post two under Jon Court.
A 40-percent chance of thunderstorms is forecast for the 9:51 p.m. post time.
Kentucky Oaks point standings
Rank Horse Points Trainer
1 Condo Commando 161 Rudy Rodriguez
2 I'm a Chatterbox 161 Larry Jones
3 Stellar Wind 150 John Sadler
4 Birdatthewire 130 Dale Romans
5 Lovely Maria 120 Larry Jones
6 IncludeBetty 100 Tom Proctor
7 Oceanwave 60 Wayne Catalano
8 Angela Renee 57 Todd Pletcher
9 Sarah Sis 54 Ingrid Mason
10 Maybellene 52 Bob Baffert
11 Eskenformoney 50 Todd Pletcher
12 Puca 45 Bill Mott
13 Shook Up 40 Steve Asmussen
14 Luminnce 40 Bob Baffert
15 Forever Unbridled 34 Dallas Stewart
16 Achiever's Legacy 27 Jerry Hollendorfer
Sports on 04/24/2015