Travel Column showing solid form for Kentucky Oaks

Travel Column went into the Fair Grounds Oaks in roaring form and exited her winning performance in Saturday’s race looking just as well, trainer Brad Cox said Sunday morning by phone from New Orleans.

Travel Column got an ideal trip in the Grade 2, Fair Grounds Oaks, in which she earned 100 qualifying points toward the April 30 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, where she’ll face Clairiere for the third straight start. Travel Column beat Clairiere one length in the Golden Rod Stakes last fall at Churchill, while Clairiere won by a neck over Travel Column in the Feb. 13 Rachel Alexandra Stakes.

On Saturday, Clairiere tried to play catch-up, racing from last in the seven-horse field during the early stages, while Travel Column and Florent Geroux sat perched off pacesetting Souper Sensational, who went at a moderate clip. Travel Column took over in upper stretch and widened her lead from 1 1/2 lengths at the stretch call to 2 3/4 at the finish, her raw time of 1:42.75 for 1 1/16 miles translating to a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

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“I was happy with the way she ran,” Cox said. “She might have been a touch strong out there, but there was not a ton of pace. I think he hit her three times inside the eighth pole, but it was a big race. We need to move forward and continue to improve to win the Oaks. You’ve been running in your region and now you have to face everybody.”

Travel Column ships to Churchill Downs sometime at the end of March. The gap of nearly six weeks between starts doesn’t concern Cox.

“I like six weeks more than four weeks,” he said. “She’s a fantastic work horse.”

Clairiere, meanwhile, finished much the best of the rest, moving up from fifth at the quarter pole and passing tiring pacesetter Souper Sensational in the final furlong, beating her by two lengths. The lack of pace in a short field worked against Clairiere, who, all being well, also is bound for the 1 1/8-mile Oaks.

“We are going to stay the course,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “We love her at a mile and an eighth, and she’s run well at Churchill.”

Third-place Souper Sensational will have two Churchill options for her next start, trainer Mark Casse said Sunday, with both the Oaks and the seven-furlong Eight Belles on the Oaks undercard under consideration. Souper Sensational last fall was a sharp winner of the seven-furlong Glorious Song over the synthetic surface at Woodbine.