A late decision to enter, Wet Paint right on time in Martha Washington Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - A few weeks out from the $200,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park, trainer Brad Cox said he expected to have a starter in the Kentucky Oaks prep, but had yet to determine the best candidate for the race.

It turns out Cox picked a winner.

Wet Paint won her stakes debut in the Martha Washington and in the process picked up 20 points for the Kentucky Oaks. She won by two lengths over Taxed, who was supplemented to the race, while it was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Defining Purpose.

“She stepped up,” Cox said. “It was kind of a late decision to bring her. We kind of made the decision the day of entry.”

Wet Paint ($8) came into the Martha Washington off a runner-up finish in a first-level allowance route at Turfway Park. She was returning to dirt, where she had won her maiden, in the slop at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Wet Paint on Saturday trailed the field early as Oliva Twist set fractions of 23.96 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.18 for the half-mile, and 1:13.28 for six furlongs, with Defining Purpose in close pursuit. The eventual winner advanced on the final turn, was angled out into the stretch by jockey Flavien Prat, and closed nicely to cover 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.62.

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The track was sealed and officials rated the surface wet-fast. One race later, it was downgraded to good on an afternoon in which light rains began falling after the first race and continued into the Martha Washington.

Cox said plans are to be determined for Wet Paint, who shipped in from Turfway Park.

“I would think we would keep her in [this] region, see how she comes out of it,” said Cox, who has divisions at both Oaklawn and Fair Grounds. “I think we’ll turn our attention to the Kentucky Oaks. How we get there, I don’t know. She’ll definitely run on dirt.”

Take Charge Briana was fourth in the Martha Washington and Olivia Twist finished fifth. The second- through fifth-place runners earned Kentucky Oaks points Saturday on a scale of 8-6-4-2.

Wet Paint is a daughter of Blame who races for her breeder, Godolphin. She has now won 2 of 4 starts for earnings of $162,500.

The Martha Washington was the first of three stakes on a card led by the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest.

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