Chocolate Kisses bound for Ashland

Chocolate Kisses is headed for the Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland at Keeneland, trainer Mark Casse said Monday. The race will be run April 6.

Chocolate Kisses put up the best Beyer Speed Figure of her career, an 82, on Saturday when the multiple turf winner won on dirt for the first time in the Grade 3, $200,000 Honeybee at Oaklawn. For the effort, she picked up 50 points for the Kentucky Oaks.

Chocolate Kisses rallied from next-to-last in the Honeybee, darting inside of rivals in the final sixteenth, and putting in a determined run to get up for a length win under Orlando Mojica.

“She was helped by the quick pace, but in her defense, she got hung out pretty wide turning for home,” Casse said. “She could have easily given it up. Orlando rode a terrific race on her, never gave up. I thought at the eighth pole we were going to be third, and that was okay, and then at the sixteenth pole, we got all excited and started jumping up and down. We thought we could get there.”

Chocolate Kisses races for Debby Oxley. Casse said the filly has returned to her base of Fair Grounds.

Plans for Power Gal, winner of the Martha Washington last month at Oaklawn who ran an uncharacteristic seventh in the Honeybee, are to be determined, but she could move to the grass, Casse said, perhaps running next at Woodbine.

Bye Bye J trying statebreds

Bye Bye J, who has second in the Grade 3 Forward Gal last month at Gulfstream Park, has come home. The daughter of Uncaptured who was bred in Arkansas goes in Thursday’s eighth race, an optional $25,000 claiming sprint for statebred fillies and mares. She will be making her first start for Arkansas residents Alex and JoAnn Lieblong after being purchased privately, trainer Ron Moquett said Monday.

“I tried to buy her after she broke her maiden,” Moquett said.

Bye Bye J was a debut winner last April at Gulfstream Park. She went on to win the $75,000 House Party at the track in December before finishing second by a half-length in the Forward Gal.

Bye Bye J will break from the rail in the six-furlong feature Thursday.

“I would rather have an outside post position,” Moquett said. “In Arkansas-bred races, everybody tends to ship. They all want the lead. We’re stuck in the one-hole, and I hope she gets a nice, comfortable trip.”

Ramon Vazquez has the mount on Bye Bye J.

Others set to start include Usual Suspect, winner of the $100,000 Downthedustyroad last month at Oaklawn.

◗ Souper Tapit, winner of the Sunshine Millions Classic, is being pointed to the New Orleans Handicap, Casse.

◗ Oaklawn plans to open its infield, weather permitting, on Saturday. The forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the 60s.