Rachel Alexandra Stakes might give early peek at Kentucky Oaks winner
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
NEW ORLEANS – The road to the Kentucky Oaks often intersects with Gentilly Boulevard, which snakes through New Orleans and for a brief spell runs a parking lot away from the far turn of famed Fair Grounds Racecourse. Five times in the last 12 years the Kentucky Oaks winner raced in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds, and in this year’s renewal on Saturday the outside horses could have the inside track to victory in this Grade 2, $300,000 fixture.
Hidden Connection drew post 11, the outside gate, in the Rachel Alexandra, a lead-in to the Fair Grounds Oaks here next month. Hidden Connection is the 3-1 favorite on the track’s morning line for this 1 1/16-mile dirt fixture, and the second choice is Awake At Midnyte, who breaks from post 9 in her first start outside California.
The race is a major part of Churchill Downs Inc.’s Road to the Kentucky Oaks series and has 85 Oaks qualifying points distributed 50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers.
Hidden Connection already has positive Churchill experience, having captured the Pocahontas there last September by more than nine lengths to start her career with two laudable scores. Her Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies went less well. Trainer Bret Calhoun failed to find any specific excuse for Hidden Connection’s distant fourth-place finish.
No excuses, no injuries meant Calhoun brought his filly to New Orleans late last year and began plotting a path to the Oaks that starts Saturday. Hidden Connection, by Connect, will have Reylu Gutierrez aboard Saturday.
Hidden Connection has logged eight Fair Grounds workouts this winter, but it wasn’t until her most recent drill, a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 last Saturday, that Hidden Connection perked up.
“She wasn’t working bad, but she just didn’t have quite the same spark as she did as a 2-year-old,” said Calhoun. “Her last work was really good, more like her best works last year. It gives me a lot more confidence.”
Trainer Doug O’Neill said he has held Awake At Midnyte in high regard since her first half-mile workout many months ago. In her career debut, Awake At Midnyte defeated Adare Manor, who looked like a star romping in the Las Virgenes Stakes earlier this month. Awake At Midnyte came back to finish second by a nose in the Jimmy Durante, a turf mile, and turned in a fine second-place finish behind Under the Stars in the Santa Ynez on Jan. 8. O’Neill, who trains Awake At Midnyte for Reddam Racing, feels his horse could be unbeaten.
“She’s a big filly, very athletic, very competitive, very much a natural deal,” he said. “I’ve always had a lot of confidence in her – maybe even overconfidence.”
Divine Huntress brings an unusual profile to the Rachel Alexandra, having made her last two starts at Parx Racing, most recently romping by almost 13 lengths in a first-level dirt-route allowance on Jan. 19. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners purchased a controlling share in the filly following her seven-furlong maiden win in December and turned her over to trainer Graham Motion.
“Parx can be a funny track, but she couldn’t have won that much easier,” said Motion.
North County won the Dec. 26 Untapable Stakes here, running her career mark to three wins from three starts, and her connections skipped the Jan. 22 Silverbulletday to point for this race.
“Everything has gone to plan with her and she had a nice little bit of work the last two weeks,” said trainer Brendan Walsh.
North County just got up over Fannie and Freddie to win the Untapable, and that filly returned to finish second to La Crete in the Silverbulletday. La Crete, a younger sister of Grade 1-winner Clairiere, romped to a debut route win at Churchill last fall but got only a 67 Beyer Speed Figure, though that improved to 74 when she turned back Fannie and Freddie to win the Silverbulletday by one length. La Crete drew the rail and seems a certain pace player under Joel Rosario.
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Dream Lith got a solid 82 Beyer Speed Figure for winning what appeared to be a modest renewal of the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill last November in her most recent start. Trainer Robertino Diorodo shipped her here weeks ago from his Oaklawn base to prepare for Saturday’s start.
Miss Mattie B finished more than seven lengths behind Awake At Midnyte in the Santa Ynez, but likely got the wrong trip, contesting a strong early pace. Turnerloose, who raced only on turf during her four-start 2-year-old campaign, looks a sure pace factor. Goddess of Fire stretches out to two turns while making her second start at age 3.
“She’s on the improve and could take a step forward here,” said trainer Todd Pletcher.
Candy Raid and California Angel complete the field. Remember all these fillies’ names: One of them easily could win the Kentucky Oaks.