Recent rivals meet again in Oaks

MUSKEGON, Mich. - The 32nd running of the $50,000 Michigan Oaks on Tuesday evening at Great Lake Downs shapes up as a rubber match between the Ann Arbor Stakes winner Creative Miss and Maxie Match, who won the earlier Plymouth Stakes. The Oaks, at 1 1/16 miles, drew a field of eight 3-year-old fillies.

Neither Creative Miss nor Maxie Match has raced since the Aug. 20 Ann Arbor, when Creative Miss upset the favored Maxie Match, who was on a three-race winning streak. Creative Miss, owned by Todd Weddon and trained by Scott Sowle, is a homebred daughter of Creative. She was fourth, beaten only a head for third, in the Plymouth. Jockey Mary Doser will have a choice of Creative Miss or the Weddon-owned Half a Glance, who is coming off of an allowance win and is coupled with Creative Miss in the wagering.

Maxie Match, trained by Dave Kueffner, has been no worse than third at this meet. She paid $49.40 winning the Plymouth Stakes on July 16. In the Ann Arbor, she rallied but couldn't get to Creative Miss. Jose Delgado will again be in the irons.

From the rail out, the field for the Michigan Oaks is: Creative Miss; Maxie Match; Steel Bond, Felipe Santos; Too Hot to Tango, Rafael Estrella; Half a Glance; Holidaisy, Roberto Perez; Valor Within, Jorge Collazo Jr.; and Tickle Bug, Terry Houghton.