FLORENCE, Ky. -- Lorelei Lee will be a late nominee to the Kentucky Oaks after punching her ticket with a win in the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks on Saturday at Turfway Park, taking the initiative on the front end and holding on for a three-quarter-length win over favored Lovely Grey.  Lorelei Lee ($23.98), who is trained by Mike Maker for Skychai Racing, earned 50 qualifying points toward the May 1 Oaks with Saturday's win. Early nominations for the filly classic, which required a $200 payment, closed Feb. 18. Maker said immediately post-race that the ownership will make Lorelei Lee a late nominee to the Oaks; that stage closes April 18 for a $1,500 fee.  This was the stakes debut, and just the third career start, for Lorelei Lee, who has done all her racing this winter on the Tapeta at Turfway Park. After winning her debut going six furlongs on Jan. 8, she was third in another sprint, against allowance-optional claiming foes, on Feb. 21. Maker said the filly may have felt the effects of missing training time due to winter weather that scuttled racing and training schedules in Kentucky in late January, and that was also why he chose to keep the daughter of Nyquist sprinting for her second start, rather than stretching her out.  :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. "That's what we wanted to do all along," he said of going longer. "With the weather [we waited]. She's not the most professional filly. You watch her first race, she was real green and still got the job done, and her second race she was green, too. Got the fitness out of the way, and got her two turns."  Lorelei Lee broke well from post 8 in the starting field of nine fillies. Cincinnati Trophy winner Resplendence, who has used her speed to dominate her last two starts, broke on top from the rail, but ceded the lead this time. Lorelei Lee thus took the initiative under Fernando De La Cruz, and was on top by better than a length through the quarter in 24.07 seconds and the half in 49.77 seconds. She was still cruising turning for home.  Lovely Grey, victimized by a slow pace when runner-up in the Cincinnati Trophy, was sixth after the opening half, and again mounted a strong bid against a comfortable leader. Lorelei Lee held sway at the wire, finishing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.81.  After Lovely Grey, it was 1 1/2 lengths to Resist in third. They were followed, in order, by California shipper La Ville Lumiere, Bless Her, Resplendence, Scratch It, Beara Peninsula, and the maiden Wonzee Weather.  While several winners of the Bourbonette Oaks have gone on to solid accomplishments - such as 2007 Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill and future Grade 1 winners Hot Cha Cha (2009), Summer Soiree (2011), and In Lingerie (2012) - this race has not had the same impact on the Oaks that its brother race, the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby, has had on the Kentucky Derby. Last year’s winner, Bless the Broken, was third in the Oaks to give the race some recent bragging rights.  Lorelei Lee will be making her first start on dirt as she advances to Churchill Downs.  "I don't think she'll mind it," Maker said.  The Bourbonette Oaks was one of three stakes for 3-year-olds on the undercard of the day's featured race for the division, the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby.  Earlier in the day, Bull by the Horns ($10.82) found class relief and gamely found the line first in the $250,000 Rushaway Stakes, edging Steel Imperium by half a length. Bull by the Horns, ridden by John Velazquez, had to survive an objection from Vincent Cheminaud aboard the runner-up. Steel Imperium was in tight quarters rallying between horses in the stretch, with the filly Rhythm Lady on his inside before fading, and Bull by the Horns, last of seven early and getting left-handed urging as he looped the field, on his outside. Ultimately, the result stood.  Bull by the Horns, who is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for Peachtree Stable and Mark Corrado, has now won twice from five career starts, with this his first venture outside of Florida. In his previous start, he was seventh in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth last month against a number of serious Kentucky Derby hopefuls.  The time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:45.76.  Well-regarded Outfielder ($3.04), also ridden by Velazquez, made his season debut a winning one, blitzing the field en route to a 4 1/2-length win in the $250,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters.  Heavily favored Outfielder got pressure from Hometown Bound as he zipped through a blistering opening quarter of 21.46. He shook that one off through the half in 44.59 and turned for home with a two-length lead. Small Town, who had set up shop in third early, made a bid on the outside and tried well through the lane, but Outfielder had enough left to hold sway, with Small Town easily best of the rest.  Outfielder stopped the clock in 1:10.69. for the six furlongs.  Outfielder is trained by Wesley Ward, who also owns a piece of the colt with Amo Racing USA and Jayson Werth. The colt won 2 of 4 starts last year and was a creditable fourth in the Group 1 Prix Morny in France. In his season finale, Outfielder set the pace and folded in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at a mile.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.