Champagne Anyone toasts win in Gulfstream Oaks

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ian Wilkes got the desired result from an equipment change he made on his 3-year-old filly Champagne Anyone, and now he has a contender for the Kentucky Oaks.

Champagne Anyone, equipped with blinkers for the first time in her seventh career start, stalked Cookie Dough from second into deep stretch before taking over from that one and holding the favored Dunbar Road at bay to win the Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Oaks by a half-length.

It was three-quarters of a length farther back to Cookie Dough in third. Point of Honor, Safta, and Bella Ciao completed the order of finish. Shacklette was scratched.

The victory earned Champagne Anyone 100 qualifying points to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks on May 3. That race was the goal for Wilkes when he brought Champagne Anyone to South Florida for the winter.

The Gulfstream Oaks was her third race of the meet, following third-place finishes in the Forward Gal and Davona Dale.

“I felt the filly needed racing. She’s a filly that’s still learning. If I ran her once or twice, she wouldn’t be ready for the Oaks,” Wilkes said. “That’s where I felt I had to get more miles into this filly, more racing into her.”

Champagne Anyone’s race in the Davona Dale left Wilkes thinking he needed to make a change. He said jockey Chris Landeros had to ask Champagne Anyone early in that race, and she didn’t not have enough left with which to finish.

“She doesn’t like Chris asking her to be in the race; she likes to take you in the race. That’s where I felt like I had to try something different,” Wilkes said.

In the Gulfstream Oaks, Champagne Anyone broke very sharply, but Landeros was content to allow Cookie Dough, under Jeffrey Sanchez, to clear.

Champagne Anyone was within two lengths of Cookie Dough through a half-mile in 47.58 seconds and six furlongs in 1:11.77. Champagne Anyone had to work a bit to get by Cookie Dough, but she did so in deep stretch to get the win.

“She’s so naturally gifted, her wins prior to today were just because she’s purely talented,” Landeros said. “She’s still green. She still doesn’t know when to completely lay it down, but today’s a big step forward, and I think the best is yet to come for her.”

Champagne Anyone, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense owned by Six Column Stables and Randall Bloch, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.47 and returned $17.20.

“I had to see a little bit of toughness in this filly, and I got to see it today, so that was good,” Wilkes said.

Wilkes said Champagne Anyone would ship to Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

Dunbar Road, the 6-5 favorite off a dominant maiden win, rallied to get second and earn 40 points to the Oaks.

Trainer Chad Brown said jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. told him Dunbar Road had some difficulty on the turns. This was her first start around two turns.

“He felt like he was losing a little ground on the turn,” Brown said. “He said when she finally hit the stretch and got to her right lead, she finished well.”

Brown said he would be inclined to send Dunbar Road to the Kentucky Oaks.