Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Farrell looks super heading into Kentucky Oaks
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Wayne Catalano tends to know only what he needs to know. Foremost among that knowledge is that Farrell is thriving as the 143rd Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs nears. All else is superfluous.
“How many fillies have I run in the Oaks before?” Catalano asked, repeating a question asked of him. “I don’t know, two or three? I usually just remember the ones we win, like our three Breeders’ Cups and some of our other Grade 1s.”
For the record, Catalano has had four Oaks starters, none of whom finished any better than Dreaming of Anna, sixth in 2007. This time, however, the affable ex-jockey everyone calls Cat Man or Cat Daddy means business.
“I’ve never come into one with a filly this serious,” he said.
Farrell, bred and owned by the Coffeepot Stables of Bob Cummings and Annette Bacola, is among the core of favorites in what is shaping up as a terrific renewal of the Oaks next Friday, May 5. She has won her last four races without being seriously challenged, ending with the April 1 Fair Grounds Oaks, a prep that has produced eight of the last 20 Kentucky Oaks winners.
Farrell was the lone horse to breeze Wednesday at Churchill during the time slot reserved for Oaks and Derby horses, going six furlongs under regular rider Channing Hill in 1:13 under a warm sun. Hill is married to the former Shelbi Catalano and therefore happens to be the trainer’s son-in-law.
“He’s pretty hard to please,” Catalano said of Hill, “and he came back really impressed. She did it without him asking her for much. It was a beautiful work. We’re nine days out from the race and we’re really happy with the filly.”
A couple of the other Oaks favorites have the kind of early speed that Farrell will bring to the 1 1/8-mile race, most notably Miss Sky Warrior and Paradise Woods. In the Fair Grounds Oaks, Farrell rated willingly through the opening stages before prevailing by 3 1/4 lengths.
“I don’t know who else is in this race,” said Catalano, with typical nonchalance, “but you saw us the other day, right? We laid third. We don’t have to be on the lead. If they go, they go. We’ll be sitting there licking our chops.”
A big field of 3-year-old fillies is likely for the Grade 1, $1 million Oaks. Entries will be drawn Tuesday, with as many as 14 in the main body of the race, plus up to four also-eligibles. Scratch time for both the Oaks and Derby is 9 a.m. Eastern on Oaks Day.
As of Wednesday, according to Churchill, the likely Oaks field (in qualifying points order) consists of Farrell, Miss Sky Warrior, Ever So Clever, Sailor’s Valentine, Paradise Woods, Salty, Abel Tasman, Daddys Lil Darling, Tequilita, Lockdown, Wicked Lick, Vexatious, and Jordan’s Henny. One other filly, Yorkiepoo Princess, has not been officially declared but has been termed doubtful. Other fillies farther down the points list might also surface.
All jockeys will wear pink pants in the Oaks in a recently announced move by Churchill to further heighten awareness of the company’s fundraising initiatives for breast cancer research.
Syndergaard heads Walker
Syndergaard will be an overwhelming favorite in the $100,000 William Walker Stakes when Churchill Downs opens its 39-day spring meet Saturday with an 11-race Downs After Dark card that starts at 6 p.m. Eastern.
Syndergaard, with John Velazquez riding for trainer Todd Pletcher, was assigned post 1 in a field of seven 3-yearolds in the six-furlong William Walker, which goes as the ninth race (post, 10:11 p.m.).
After Saturday, Churchill will be dark Sunday and Monday before the five-day Derby week runs Tuesday through Saturday.
Woodford prospects work fast
Two horses that could join the lineup for the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic in the race preceding the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs turned in bullet workouts Tuesday morning, with Ballagh Rocks breezing five furlongs in 1:00.60 around the cones on the Churchill turf and Kasaqui working the same distance in 59.80 seconds on dirt at Keeneland.
They are expected to be a part of what should be a large, closely matched field. Others considered as possible starters by Dan Bork, Churchill’s assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator, include Bal a Bali, Beach Patrol, Can’thelpbelieving, Conquest Panthera, Divisidero, Enterprising, Flatlined, Oscar Nominated, and World Approval.
Of that group, Bal a Bali, Beach Patrol, Divisidero, and World Approval are already Grade 1 winners, with Divisidero notably winning this stakes a year ago.
Kasaqui also competed in last year’s Woodford Reserve and was fortunate to escape injury when he fell after he clipped heels midway on the second turn, unseating jockey Paco Lopez. The horse quickly recovered from the spill, taking the Arlington Handicap and running second in the Arlington Million last summer.
This year, Kasaqui has been the runner-up twice in as many starts, in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes on Feb. 11 in his seasonal bow and then most recently in the Mervin Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds on April 1, a race in which he finished between victorious Enterprising and third-place Oscar Nominated in a threehorse photo finish.