Ahh Chocolate looks solid in Indiana Oaks

In three starts, Ahh Chocolate has done little wrong, and if her line of progress holds Saturday night at Indiana Grand, she should notch her first stakes victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Indiana Oaks.

Trained by Neil Howard for Stoneway Farm, Ahh Chocolate rallied from 10th to win her career debut in a six-furlong Fair Grounds sprint, but the best part of her race that day might have come after the finish line, when Ahh Chocolate galloped out far, far in front of her rivals. The gallop-out made Ahh Chocolate look like a two-turn horse in waiting, and at Keeneland, she made it two wins from two starts with a sharp first-level, two-turn allowance score.

Ahh Chocolate lost for the first time in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico but was hardly tarnished in defeat, finishing a solid third behind Keen Pauline, who walked on the lead, and Include Betty, who would go on to win the Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont.

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No such rival appears to lie in wait at Indiana Grand, where the pace looks more legitimate than at Pimlico, where Ahh Chocolate was caught a bit wide and got her final three furlongs in a decent time after making up ground into a fast-paced second quarter.

Based at Churchill Downs, Ahh Chocolate, a daughter of Candy Ride, has worked five times in June and July, her big move a six-furlong drill in 1:12.60 on July 3. She looks ready, she looks capable, and she looks like a winner.

Oceanwave appears her main rival and would help her own cause by getting into Saturday’s race more quickly than she has her last two starts. Oceanwave was 13th early, rallying mildly for seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, and 12th early before running on for fifth in the Grade 1 Acorn last out at Belmont. Oceanwave has enough pace to be forwardly placed going two turns and can give Ahh Chocolate a run if she gains decent position.

Trainer Ian Wilkes saddled the winner of the 2014 Indiana Oaks, which was run last October, though trainer Carl Nafzger is the trainer of record of that filly, Tiz Windy, and Wilkes has two entrants in the 2015 Oaks. Sweetgrass comes off a career-best showing, finishing second in the Iowa Oaks, while Silverpocketsfull makes her first start since finishing third in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland in April.

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Silverpocketsfull drew poorly on the far outside, but Wilkes said the filly – freshened because she is large and light-framed – is fit to give a representative performance. Sweetgrass remains a potentially progressive filly and was second last out at Prairie Meadows despite running down behind and racing somewhat greenly, her trainer said.

Stealcase fair odds in Schaefer

Stealcase is 6 and hasn’t won since January 2014, but he is the square-priced pick to win the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer, a mile-and-70-yard dirt race for older males.

The only starter on Saturday’s card trained by Mark Casse, Stealcase declined sharply last fall before going on an extended vacation, but his comeback last month at Churchill produced a decent fourth of 10 in the Kelly’s Landing, a seven-furlong race well short of Stealcase’s preferred trip. He has since worked encouragingly and can come forward enough in his second post-layoff start to score a mild upset.

Ground Transport and Joy Boy should ensure a lively pace, and just behind them should sit Ulanbator, who was trapped down inside on the worst part of the Prairie Meadows track, trainer Wilkes said, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Cornhusker last month.

Elusive Fate rates slight edge

With a nondescript seven-horse field, the $100,000 Marie Hulman George, a dirt route for fillies and mares, is the least appealing of the Saturday stakes. Elusive Fate, who at 5 still looks unexposed in two-turn dirt races, gets the narrow call for trainer Rusty Arnold. Arnold has four winners from six runners at the Indiana Grand meet.