Golden Tour tries to make switch from dirt to turf

Golden Tour makes her turf debut in a full field of 13 in Saturday's $100,000 Queen City Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old Ohio-bred fillies at River Downs.

In her most recent start, Golden Tour scored an upset at 22-1 in the $50,000 Petro Memorial at Thistledown on June 21. Golden Tour, now 2 for 4 lifetime, pressed the early pace before taking command on the far turn and drawing off under jockey Tommy Meyers in the 1 1/16-mile Petro.

John Bourke trains Golden Tour, whom he also owns and bred.

Just Michel is a major threat. She finished second behind Golden Tour in the Petro and has since run third in the 1 1/16-mile Cincinnatian on turf here on July 6. Just Michel is the most consistent of the Oaks entrants with a career record of 2-3-1 from six starts. Regular rider Ricardo Feliciano will be in from Cleveland for the mount on Just Michel, who is trained by Mike Nance.

Luis Palacios trains an entry of Whitewater Way and Orangeberry, and they also were coupled in the Petro, where they were 2-5. Whitewater Way rallied for third in the Petro, beaten 7 3/4 lengths, while Orangeberry was never in the hunt, finishing eighth. Both are stakes winners. Whitewater Way won the Gailbreath Memorial at Beulah Park last November and Orangeberry scored an easy 9 1/2-length win in the Tomboy here two starts back.