Ria Antonia leads classy group of fillies in Iowa Oaks
Led by the classy quartet of Ria Antonia, Sugar Shock, Thank You Marylou, and Designer Legs, the Grade 3, $200,000 Iowa Oaks promises to be a competitive renewal.
Switched by owners Loooch Racing Stable and Chris Dunn from the care of Bob Baffert to Tom Amoss following a lackluster sixth-place finish May 2 in the Kentucky Oaks, Ria Antonia is progressing despite a last-place effort in the Preakness.
“She looks great physically,” said Amoss. “She’s better, but I’m not entirely sure where I am with her mentally at this stage.”
The 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies champ is expected to improve significantly.
Sugar Shock, perhaps the most talented 3-year-old filly ever locally trained, won Oaklawn’s Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes this season and most recently the May 31 Panthers Stakes here after setting the pace and fading to eighth in the Kentucky Oaks. The 5-2 morning-line favorite has a home-court advantage for trainer Doug Anderson.
“She’s training as well as she has here since last year,” said Anderson. “Her recent works have been really good over this surface.”
Thank You Marylou, also trained by Maker and partnered with Velasquez, finished fifth in the Kentucky Oaks after a Grade 1 placing when third April 5 in Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes. Her finishing kick should prove an asset in this spot.
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Designer Legs, who parlayed success in last year’s Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes with a win via disqualification in Saratoga’s Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes, is moving in the right direction for Dallas Stewart. Her late interest when fourth May 2 behind Fiftyshadesofgold in the Grade 3 Eight Belles was encouraging, and her sharp half-mile breeze in 47.40 seconds at Churchill indicates her improved form.
Awesome Jill, Size, Tiz Windy, Senior Prom, and Dream Spinner are good fillies who will have to step up to garner valuable graded-stakes black type.