Champagne Anyone heads to Churchill Downs early for Kentucky Oaks

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Champagne Anyone, the half-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, was scheduled to arrive Wednesday at Churchill Downs, where she will continue preparations for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks on May 3.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said everything was “all good” Sunday morning with Champagne Anyone, who showed a new dimension by laying close to the pace Saturday, then holding off a late bid from race favorite Dunbar Road.

Wilkes felt that more important than where she was positioned in the Gulfstream Oaks was the ease with which she was traveling under Chris Landeros. In her prior start, a third in the Davona Dale, Landeros had to ask the filly to get her position, which was toward the back. On Saturday, equipped with blinkers for the first time, Champagne Anyone was always in striking range and doing it on her own.

“She doesn’t have to lay up close. There’ll be more honest speed in the Oaks; those fillies will go,” Wilkes said. “We can be wherever we want her to be.”

Champagne Anyone earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure for her performance. While the Gulfstream Oaks was at 1 1/16 miles, the Kentucky Oaks will be run at 1 1/8 miles, a distance that Wilkes feels will suit his filly.

“I don’t think distance is going to be an issue for her,” Wilkes said.

With Champagne Anyone having had three races at Gulfstream this winter and spring, Wilkes won’t have to do too much between now and the Kentucky Oaks.

“We’ll see what we need to do and play it by ear,” he said.

Trainer Chad Brown said if Dunbar Road remains healthy, he is inclined to run the filly in the Kentucky Oaks. In what was just her second career start and first around two turns, Dunbar Road had a little difficulty handling the turns but finished nicely once she leveled off in the stretch.

“I thought it was a really good race for her,” Brown said. “I though the winner ran extremely well, and our filly was second-best. I think she got valuable experience. The benefit of running here, even in defeat, was we gained an extra week headed to the big race. I think she’s going to love a mile and an eighth, and a mile and a quarter.”

Brown eyes New York turf stakes

Brown won a pair of graded turf stakes on closing weekend at Gulfstream by the narrowest of margins, and now he has his sights set on a pair of stakes at Belmont Park.

Santa Monica, who won Friday’s Grade 3 Orchid by a head, will be pointed to the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont Park on May 4. Santa Monica finished third as the favorite in last year’s Sheepshead Bay. Santa Monica earned an 89 Beyer for her victory.

Focus Group, a nose winner over Melmich in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pan American, will be pointed to the Grade 1, $700,000 Man o’ War at Belmont on May 11. Focus Group earned a 96 Beyer.