Oeuvre, Opening Buzz contenders in deep Giant's Causeway Stakes
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Oeuvre and Opening Buzz have both already found the winner’s circle multiple times in stakes in 2023. They meet in an overflow field full of other stakes winners in Saturday’s $250,000 Giant’s Causeway, a 5 1/2-furlong stakes for fillies and mares on the Keeneland turf.
Oeuvre’s record is a model of consistency. The 4-year-old Illinois-bred, who races as a homebred for Richard Perkins, has won five straight races and nine of her last 10 outings. Overall, her career mark stands at 16-10-3-2.
“It’s all her,” trainer Chris Block said. “She’s mature and has come into her own. She’s really confident and she relaxes nicely. . . . Congratulations to Mr. Perkins, and thank you so much for putting her in our barn.”
After three wins on dirt at Hawthorne and Fair Grounds to start her current streak, Oeuvre moved to turf to win the Nelson J. Menard Memorial in January at Fair Grounds and the Mardi Gras Stakes in February, employing slightly different running styles in each race.
In the Menard Memorial, she stalked before pouncing and opening up to win by two lengths. In the Mardi Gras, she took command early and lasted authoritatively to win by 1 1/2 lengths with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 92.
She has been working sharply, with several bullets on her tab, and her versatility will give regular rider Jareth Loveberry some options.
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Oeuvre may have a surface edge over Opening Buzz, whose only win on turf came in a statebred allowance race at Del Mar last year, albeit with a career-high 94 Beyer. With trainer Jonathan Wong expanding his presence in Kentucky, she spent the winter at Turfway Park, with three wins from four starts on Tapeta. She won the 6 1/2-furlong Wishing Well Stakes in January, was sixth in the Wintergreen Stakes at a mile, then shortened back up to win the WEBN Frog at six furlongs on March 17.
She should get some pace to rally into in the Giant’s Causeway under Luan Machado.
Amy C is also on a winning run, but is giving up recency as she ships in from California for Phil D’Amato. In her two most recent starts, she won the Senator Ken Maddy in October and the Grade 3 Las Cinegas in January.
Train to Artemus and Little Jewel are both stakes winners this year and get a rematch. Train to Artemus, well drawn to show some early foot from the rail under Frankie Dettori, won three straight in Florida over the winter, including the Lightning City at Tampa Bay Downs. She was then second in the Captiva Island on March 11 at Gulfstream Park, unable to hold off Little Jewel’s late run.
Multiple dirt stakes winner Happy Soul returns to turf for her 2023 debut for Wesley Ward. In her lone prior turf start, she set the pace and was caught late to finish second by a head to Freedom Speaks in the Music City at Kentucky Downs in September. That race was at 6 1/2 furlongs, but often plays longer due to the unique, undulating turf course there. She earned a career-high 94 Beyer in the Music City, a race in which Oeuvre was third in her most recent defeat.
Ward will also saddle Twilight Gleaming, a multiple stakes winner last seen finishing fourth behind Caravel, reigning queen of the Keeneland turf, in the Grade 3 Franklin County last October. Twilight Gleaming is also likely to be a pace factor.
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