Dream Tree off Oaks trail with injury

The unbeaten Dream Tree, one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country, will miss the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs after emerging from her most-recent work at Santa Anita with a minor injury, trainer Bob Baffert said Friday morning.

Dream Tree “came out of her last work with a little issue,” said Baffert, who declined to be specific about the setback, but said it was “just a little thing, not that big a deal.”

Dream Tree last worked on March 7 at Santa Anita, when she went a half-mile in 48.80 seconds.

Baffert said Dream Tree would need 45 to 60 days off and would remain at his barn at Santa Anita throughout.

Dream Tree, a daughter of Uncle Mo, has won all four of her starts, including the Grade 1 Starlet at Los Alamitos in December, her final start at 2, and the Grade 2 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita last month in her 3-year-old debut.

Baffert said Dream Tree should be back this summer, and he would point her for a race like the Grade 1 Test, going seven furlongs, at Saratoga.

◗ Abel Tasman, last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner and the 2017 Eclipse Award winner as champion 3-year-old filly, moved ever closer to a comeback with a six-furlong work in 1:13.40 on Friday at Santa Anita.