Louisville natives Cox, Romans defend home track in Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There’s really no such thing as a home team in horse racing. Crude as it might seem, cheers usually emanate from bettors’ pockets and tend to have little to do with the origins of horses and their human connections.

That said, the Kentucky Oaks on Friday sports a local theme often absent from the filly classic. Brad Cox and Dale Romans, both of whom grew up within shouting distance of the Churchill Downs stable gate, will come well armed with Oaks contenders, giving this 144th running of the Grade 1 race a true down-home flavor.

“It’s like a dream come true, being in this position,” said Cox, who will send out Monomoy Girl, Sassy Sienna, and Kelly’s Humor in the $1 million Oaks.

“Besides the Kentucky Derby, there aren’t many races in the world I’d rather win than the Oaks, for obvious reasons,” said Romans, who will saddle Coach Rocks.

The “visitors,” as it were, are similarly well represented in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks, which will be run before an ontrack crowd exceeding 100,000 and a national television audience (NBC Sports Network; post, 6:12 p.m. Eastern). Although Monomoy Girl likely will be the wagering favorite when she breaks from the-outside post in a full gate of 14 3-year-old fillies, there won’t be much separation on the toteboard between her and Midnight Bisou, who arrived here Monday from her Southern California base for trainer Bill Spawr.

“We’re taking nothing for granted, but I do like our spot,” said Cox. “Our horses couldn’t be doing any better.”

Monomoy Girl has won five of six career starts, with her only two races this year being particularly impressive. Owned by a four-way partnership, the chestnut daughter of Tapizar romped in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes at her Fair Grounds winter base before coming home to dust the opposition in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.

The first issue for Monomoy Girl and jockey Florent Geroux is the 14 hole.

“We should be okay,” said Cox. “The filly has the speed to get position, and sometimes it’s better to be outside in case trouble develops. Hopefully, Florent can work out the right trip and the filly will run her race. I know that horses like Lemons Forever and Untapable won the Oaks from way out there, so I’m really not that concerned.”

Midnight Bisou also enters unbeaten on the year, having posted open-lengths triumphs in a trio of graded stakes at Santa Anita – the Santa Ynez, Santa Ysabel, and Santa Anita Oaks. Mike Smith will be aboard from post 10.

“She’s getting better,” Spawr said prior to leaving California. “She’s scary. Her body weight is right. She’s confident in the way she acts.”

Coach Rocks (post 2, Luis Saez) emerged as the top 3-year-old filly in Florida this winter by winning the Gulfstream Park Oaks in her last start.

“I think she’ll be third choice,” said Romans. “She really turned the corner in her last couple of races. Florida’s never easy, so we think she’ll match up really well with these other top fillies.”

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Of the other Cox fillies, Sassy Sienna (post 1, Gary Stevens) rates the best chance following her gutsy victory over Wonder Gadot in the April 13 Fantasy. Kelly’s Humor (post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.) will be one of the longest shots in the field.

Sassy Sienna “bounced out of the Fantasy extremely well, and we’re hoping she’ll get a clean trip from the rail,” said Cox.

Beyond the top choices, fringe contenders such as Rayya, My Miss Lilly, Take Charge Paula, and Wonder Gadot all have arrived from various destinations.

Rayya (post 7, Drayden Van Dyke), getting first-time Lasix, is the wild card of the field, having breezed just twice at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert after racing five times in Dubai for Doug Watson.

“She has a lot of natural speed,” said Baffert. “I see her probably on the lead. We’re asking her to do almost the impossible, coming from Dubai and winning the Oaks, but so far, everything we’ve asked her to do, she’s done it.”

My Miss Lilly (post 11, Joe Bravo) earned her way here from New York by winning the Gazelle last month at Aqueduct. Take Charge Paula (post 9, Jose Ortiz), a four-time stakes winner, adds blinkers after finishing second in the Davona Dale and Gulfstream Oaks. Wonder Gadot (post 5, John Velazquez) signaled her sharpness with her nose loss in the Fantasy.

The balance of the Oaks field is Eskimo Kisses, Classy Act, Chocolate Martini, Heavenhasmynikki, and the uncoupled Bret Calhoun duo of Classy Act and Patrona Margarita.

Heavenhasmynikki, with Calvin Borel to ride, carries huge sentimental value for owner Ron Paolucci. The Ohio-bred filly is named for Paolucci’s late daughter, Nicole, who died in January 2016 at age 21.

The Oaks, like the Kentucky Derby, has been run annually over this parcel of south Louisville land since 1875. Its roster of winners is a who’s who of fillies and includes such luminaries as Alcibiades (1930), Cicada (1962), Susan’s Girl (1972), Bold ‘n Determined (1980), and Rags to Riches (2007). The 2017 winner was Abel Tasman, with Smith riding for Baffert.

The Oaks is the first leg in a pair of two-day wagers: the Oaks-Derby double and the Oaks-Turf Classic-Derby pick three. It goes as the 11th of 13 races on a Friday card that starts at 10:30 a.m. and includes five other stakes: the Eight Belles (race 5), La Troienne (race 6), Twin Spires Turf Sprint (race 7), Alysheba (race 8), and Edgewood (race 10). The card will encompass nearly nine hours, with the 13th race set for 7:23.

The NBCSN broadcast of the Oaks starts at 5 p.m.

Many horsemen and fans once again will be attired in pink as Churchill hosts its annual Oaks Day “Pink Out” to raise funds and awareness to benefit breast-cancer research. The forecast calls for intermittent showers and a high of 80.