Street Band a professional winner in Indiana Oaks

Rebounding from a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Street Band dominated with a class drop into Saturday evening’s Grade 3, $200,000 Indiana Oaks at Indiana Grand.

As she did in winning the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks earlier this year, she played a successful role as a stalker. She settled in fourth early under jockey Sophie Doyle, advanced inside of rivals early on the second turn, caught pacesetting Kim K coming into the lane, and was never challenged thereafter in romping by 3 1/2 lengths.

“I knew I wanted to sit close – it’s been speed favoring all night and it hasn’t been very forgiving to closers,” said Doyle after becoming the first female jockey to win the Indiana Oaks.

A 3-year-old daughter of Istan owned by a partnership that includes trainer Larry Jones and his wife, Cindy, Street Band raced 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.01. The morning-line favorite at 5-2 odds, she drifted up in price to race as the second favorite, returning $8.20 to win.

Doyle said she could sense that her mount, a temperamental sort, was poised for a top effort shortly before the start when she stayed relaxed during a long loading process caused when a rival, Shacklette, balked at loading in the gate.

“She took a nice deep breath, and I said, ‘That’s my girl. She’s going to get it done tonight,’” Doyle said.

No match for the winner but running well to earn her first stakes placing was runner-up Sundaysathebeach, who edged Grade 3 Honeybee winner and third-place finisher Chocolate Kisses by 1 1/4 lengths. High Regard ran fourth and Kim K – who set the pace with fractions of 23.83 seconds, 47.73, and 1:11.62 – faded to fifth in the 12-horse field.

The Indiana Oaks marked Street Band’s fourth victory in 10 lifetime starts, with Doyle aboard for three of those wins over seven rides. The $111,600 winner’s share elevated her earnings to $434,425.

More challenging races could lie ahead for Street Band. Though Jones was not in attendance Saturday at Indiana Grand, he said before the race that the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga on Aug. 17 was a summer goal if she ran to his high hopes in the Indiana Oaks.

Trainers Cox and Correas split undercard stakes

The four ungraded stakes that preceded the Indiana Oaks belonged to the tandems of trainer Brad Cox and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan and trainer Ignacio Correas and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

Cox and Bridgmohan combined to win the first two stakes Saturday night, while Correas and Hernandez followed with the second pair.

The Cox-trained Pioneer Spirit ($6.60) began the stakes action with a determined head victory in the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial under Bridgmohan, turning back a stretch bid from Silver Dust. Then a race later, heavily favored later Mylady Curlin ($2.60) easily turned aside the opposition to take the Mari Hulman George Memorial.

The Correas and Hernandez team then delivered in the following two stakes, first with Real Story ($9.60) leading throughout in the Warrior Veterans Stakes. Viva Vegas ($7.80) then overcame a wide draw to win the Indiana General Assembly Distaff.

Each of the four stakes carried a purse of $100,000.