Fillies with Oaks ambitions

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Sunday's second-level allowance feature at Louisiana Downs is bound to have some stakes repercussions later in the summer, particularly for those 3-year-olds among the eight Louisiana-bred fillies and mares in the field.

The ultimate goal for several 3-year-old fillies in Sunday's mile and 70-yard race is the Louisiana Breeders' Oaks, part of a 12-race card for statebreds on Aug. 19.

Eightforbish puts her unbeaten record on the line in her third career start. She won her debut in early January here, then returned in a first-level allowance at Evangeline Downs and once again proved best with a rally from well off the pace.

With both of her wins coming around two turns, Eightforbish has shown great maturity, and with another solid effort on Sunday, she will establish herself as the early favorite for the Oaks.

Miss Parisian Mist also has won two in a row. She captured a first-level allowance at Evangeline in mid-May two weeks after scoring a narrow victory over maidens here. Although each of her recent victories came going one turn, Miss Parisian Mist performed well in back-to-back mile and 70-yard maiden races earlier this year.

Trainer Larry Robideaux is hoping for a rebound of sorts for Sixteen Grand. A winner of her first two starts as a 2-year-old last year, she has not won since then while racing primarily in the stakes ranks. Sixteen Grand will be making her first start around two turns.

Chromite Soldier impressive

The leading contender for the Louisiana Breeders' Derby, part of the same program as the Oaks, may have surfaced in last Monday's eighth race.

Chromite Soldier, trained and owned by Jerry Cart, took command into the backstretch under Jeff Burningham and won the mile and 70-yard first-level allowance for statebreds by almost four lengths in a solid time of 1:43.08.

Tommy's Turn, the 3-5 favorite who was making his first start since finishing just in front of Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Steppenwolfer in an open allowance, finished third, more than five lengths behind the winner.