McPeek pushing maiden winner

Already expected to have a chance to win the $2 million Juvenile Fillies with Beautician, trainer Ken McPeek hopes to increase his chances if he can get Connie and Michael into the race as well. Connie and Michael was an impressive 7 3/4-length maiden winner last Saturday at Keeneland, running seven furlongs in 1:22.74 while hardly being asked by Kent Desormeaux. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95. She was the 5-2 favorite in a field of 12.

"She's trained like a good horse from the beginning," McPeek said. "She acts like she could be a good thing. I'm reluctant to run against myself, but it's probably the right thing to do. I think we got a good shot to win this with one or the other."

McPeek did say that Robby Albarado would ride Beautician in the Juvenile Fillies. Albarado guided Beautician to a maiden win at Churchill, while Desormeaux has ridden her in her last three starts. Desormeaux would ride Connie and Michael if she gets into the race.

In other Juvenile Fillies news:

With Garrett Gomez opting to ride Oak Leaf runner-up Always a Princess for Bob Baffert, Julien Leparoux has picked up the mount on Arlington-Washington Lassie winner She Be Wild. Gomez had ridden She Be Wild to a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades.

On Wednesday, Leparoux worked She Be Wild five furlongs in 1:02.80 at Keeneland, trainer Wayne Catalano said.

Also, Joel Rosario has picked up the mount on the Oak Leaf's third-place finisher, Bickersons, according to trainer Kelly Breen. Rosario worked Bickersons five furlongs in 1:00 last Friday at Santa Anita "and he was very impressed with her," Breen said. Breen noted that Joe Bravo would be riding several horses for him out of town that day. That may include Truth and Justice in the $125,000 My Trusty Cat Stakes at Delta Downs. Breen hasn't totally discounted Truth and Justice from running in the Juvenile Fillies.