Donna Veloce still on schedule for Kentucky Oaks

Donna Veloce, a stakes winner in March in her only start this year and the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last November, worked five furlongs in 1:00 on Friday at Del Mar for a scheduled start in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4.

“She’s making some really good progress from week to week,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “We definitely asked her for little bit more this morning. She looked good doing it.”

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Callaghan maintains that there is sufficient time to have Donna Veloce ready for the Kentucky Oaks, even though she has not raced since an easy win in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes on March 8 at Santa Anita. Donna Veloce was briefly out of training in the spring because of an undisclosed ailment.

“The next three works have to go perfectly for us to consider going straight for the Oaks,” Callaghan said.

In other works Friday, Giant Expectations worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 for an expected start in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 29, a race in which he was second last year. Trainer Peter Eurton timed Giant Expectations in 59 seconds for five furlongs.

The 7-year-old Giant Expectations has not raced this year. Giant Expectations was last of 10 in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita last November in his most recent start.