Fashion Plate, Ria Antonia work for Kentucky Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Fashion Plate and Ria Antonia, the first two finishers of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 5, remained on course for a rematch in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 2 with workouts at Santa Anita on Friday.

Fashion Plate worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds. Ria Antonia worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, the fastest of 62 recorded works at the distance.

For both fillies, the workouts were their first since the Santa Anita Oaks over 1 1/16 miles. The Kentucky Oaks is run over 1 1/8 miles.

Trainer Bob Baffert said he timed Ria Antonia in 1:12.20 for six furlongs. Ria Antonia was promoted from second to first in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies here last November.

Fashion Plate won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes in her stakes debut here in February.

“This was just a matter of keeping her fit,” trainer Simon Callaghan said of the workout.

Baffert said Awesome Baby, the winner of the Sunland Park Oaks in New Mexico on March 23 in her most recent start, is likely to run in the $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico on May 16. Earlier this year, Awesome Baby won the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes and the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita.