Southlawn shows up for Fair Ground Oaks, shows she's ready to run in Kentucky Oaks
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Despite Southlawn’s eight-length victory in an allowance race on Feb. 17 in her 3-year-old debut, trainer Norm Casse tried to temper his enthusiasm entering Saturday’s Fair Grounds Oaks.
“We’ve been burned before by horses that have won by open lengths and come back with a big number and then run against tougher and don’t show up,” Casse said.
In the Fair Grounds Oaks, Southlawn showed up in a big way, rolling to a 3 1/4-length victory over Pretty Mischievous to put herself among the top contenders for the Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs.
“We didn’t want to get overly confident,” Casse said. “Now I feel like it’s okay to get confident. She’s finally running the way she trained all along.”
Southlawn’s two wins at Fair Grounds have come following a surgical procedure, known as a myectomy, to clear up a breathing issue. Casse credited New Orleans veterinarian Dr. David McCoy with performing the procedure that seems to have made a world of difference.
“I think we have to give a lot of credit to that procedure,” Casse said.
Casse also credited jockey Reylu Gutierrez with not rushing Southlawn after she broke a bit slow from the rail.
“Instead of being adamant about rushing in, he was just confident to let her get into her own rhythm, let her do things her way,” Casse said.
Southlawn has now recorded back-to-back Beyer Speed Figures of 86, which are among the best in the 3-year-old filly division.
An intriguing storyline for the Kentucky Oaks will most certainly be a potential battle between Southlawn and Wonder Wheel, last year’s 2-year-old filly champion trained by Norm’s father, Mark. Wonder Wheel will make her next start in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland on April 7.
“My dad always liked to say he can’t wait til we’re facing each other in these big races,” Norm Casse said. “Now, he’s going to get what he wants. Hopefully, it plays out. We still got a long way away to go, but that would be fun for a lot of people; that would be really cool.”
Southlawn and Wonder Wheel both debuted in a June 3 maiden race at Churchill Downs. Wonder Wheel won, Southlawn was fifth.
Norm Casse said Southlawn and the rest of his Fair Grounds division would ship to Kentucky on Monday. He said Southlawn would likely get the rest of the week off before he maps out a training scheduled leading to the Kentucky Oaks.
Pretty Mischievous, the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra winner, looked strong at the top of the lane in the Fair Grounds Oaks, but had no response when Southlawn rallied past.
“It was a different scenario than the last one,” said Brendan Walsh, trainer of Pretty Mischievous. “We were going a lot stronger pace and it might have set up for a closer. I would have loved if somebody could have stayed with us for another sixteenth, it would have helped us out. If someone would have taken her a little farther down the track she might have held on.”
Walsh said Pretty Mischievous came out of the race in good order and would ship to Keeneland this week before ultimately moving over to Churchill to prepare for the Oaks.
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