Oaklawn Park notes: Ami's Holiday may start season in Blue Grass or Lexington stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Ami’s Holiday, who is 10-1 on a winter-book line for the $1 million Queen’s Plate, likely will launch his 3-year-old season next month at Keeneland, trainer Josie Carroll said Wednesday. The winner of last year’s Grade 3 Grey on Polytrack at Woodbine, the horse breezed six furlongs in 1:14.80 at Oaklawn on March 20. He last raced Dec. 8 and was third as the favorite in the $134,000 Display at Woodbine.

“I think what we’re going to do is take him to Keeneland and put him back on Polytrack in the Blue Grass or the Lexington,” Carroll said of the races run April 12 and April 19.

Carroll said Ami’s Holiday was intended to participate in the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn, but weather-related training interruptions led to a little later start to the season than anticipated for the horse.

“He’s training remarkably well. It’s just taking a little time,” she said.

Carroll, who trains Ami’s Holiday for Ivan Dalos, hopes to see Ami’s Holiday advance to the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine on July 5.

Dalos and Carroll also have the winter book’s co-second choice for the Queen’s Plate in the filly Aragorn Ami, who is 2 for 2, including a win in the $100,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn on Feb. 1. Her next race is to be determined, said Carroll.

“I turned her out for 30 days to give her a chance to come back to herself,” said Carroll, who earlier this month opted against a start in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Carroll said Aragorn Ami has been turned out in Kentucky and at the end of the month is scheduled to ship into Keeneland. Aragorn Ami is a consideration for the Queen’s Plate, a race Carroll has won with a filly before, Inglorious.

Bullet for Work All Week

Work All Week, who won his sixth consecutive race in the $100,000 Hot Springs at Oaklawn on March 8, breezed five furlongs in a bullet 59.80 seconds after the break Wednesday. The horse’s next start is to be determined, said Roger Brueggemann, who trains Work All Week for Midwest Thoroughbreds.

Brueggemann said Work All Week would be nominated for both the Grade 3, $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn on April 10 and the $100,000 Robert S. Molaro for Illinois-breds at Hawthorne on April 19. Both races are at six furlongs. Work All Week began his streak last July at Arlington Park.

* Frac Daddy, who breezed a half-mile in 48 seconds here Sunday, is an outside possibility for the Grade 2, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 12, trainer Ken McPeek said. Another option, he said, is to target Keeneland. Frac Daddy was second in the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston in his last start, a race Red Rifle won in track-record time March 1. It was the first race since November for Frac Daddy, who last year ran second in the Arkansas Derby.

* Unstoppable Colby worked five furlongs in a near-bullet 1:00.80 at Oaklawn on Wednesday and is targeting the $100,000 Northern Spur here April 12, said Lukas.