Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Blamed eyeing Kentucky Oaks
The connections of Blamed took time after last month’s victory in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks to debate their options for her next start, and on Tuesday trainer Joel Marr said the plan is to target the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs.
“It’s all going to depend on how she does,” Marr said of Blamed, who is based at Sunland Park. “She’s going to work on Friday. If everything goes well, we’ll know more after that.
“She’s been doing really well. She’s happy, galloping strong and eating good. So far, so good.”
Marr and owner Cleber Massey decided now was the time to test Blamed, who has won her last five races by a combined 30 1/2 lengths. A Maryland-bred daughter of Blame, she is 5 for 6 in her career and will be making her graded stakes debut in the Kentucky Oaks.
Marr said that Massey has “turned down some very good offers” for Blamed.
Ken Tohill, who has been aboard Blamed for her five wins, would have the mount in the Kentucky Oaks, said Marr. She is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs around April 16-17.
Plum Pretty won the Sunland Park Oaks in 2011, and went on to capture the Kentucky Oaks.
Fincher finalizing travel plans
The Kentucky Derby shipping plans for Runaway Ghost, the winner of the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby, are coming together, trainer Todd Fincher said Tuesday. Owned by Joe Peacock, Runaway Ghost is based at Sunland Park in New Mexico.
“He’s tentatively scheduled to fly out April 17,” Fincher said. “He’ll fly into Lexington, and van to Louisville.”
Fincher said that Tracy Hebert, who was aboard for the Sunland Derby and the horse’s win in the Riley Allison in January at Sunland, has the mount in the Kentucky Derby. Hebert hit a milestone of 4,000 career Thoroughbred wins in North America in November.
Fincher said Runaway Ghost has come out of the Sunland Derby in good order, and is scheduled to work “an easy fiveeighths” on Friday. Fincher said the horse would have a stronger work next week, and from there would have two works at Churchill.
Fincher has sent Kram, the runner-up in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks, to Keeneland in the hopes of running her at the Lexington track, and also has a 2-year-old entered in Keeneland’s third race Friday. Myhotrodlincoln is a son of Verrazano from the immediate female family of champion Stardom Bound.
“He’s one we purchased at Keeneland at the September sale, and he’s just come along and is ready to run so we took him over there,” said Fincher.
Kram is the kind of horse that could develop into a candidate for the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico, said Fincher.
Supreme Aura to Bachelor
Trainer Michael Stidham has sent Supreme Aura to Oaklawn for the $150,000 Bachelor on April 12. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds kicks off the annual Racing Festival of the South, when Oaklawn runs seven major stakes over the final week of its meet, which ends April 14. Stidham said Gary Stevens has the mount in the Bachelor.
Supreme Aura will be cutting back to one turn – where he is unbeaten – after running ninth going 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 2 Risen Star Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds.
“We tried him long the one time just to kind of find out for sure,” Stidham said. “We thought he was more of a oneturn horse. We just wanted to try it out and he kind of gave us the indication one turn is probably going to be his best distance. We were looking for a race going three-quarters, and this looked like a good spot to try.”
Supreme Aura was to work Thursday at Oaklawn. He races for Stallionaire Enterprises. Stidham also has sent a maiden to Oaklawn with Supreme Aura.
Indexical returns Friday
Indexical, who in 2016 ran second to Lord Nelson in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar, will make his first start for owner Danny Caldwell and trainer Federico Villafranco in Friday’s eighth race at Oaklawn. He has not raced since being claimed by his current connections out of a $30,000 claimer last May at Prairie Meadows. Friday’s optional $45,000 claiming sprint is for 4-year-olds and up over six furlongs, and the field of nine also includes Grade 3 winner Guns Loaded and top Iowa-bred One Fine Dream.
◗ A box for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks next month at Churchill Downs brought $12,000 to top a live auction benefit for the Arkansas Racetrack Chaplaincy, according to co-chaplain Robi Heffington. The other top-selling auction items were a fox red Labrador retriever – unique for its red color – which brought $2,400, and a Gun Runner painting by Lauren Wood, which brought $2,100. Heffington said the benefit funds chaplaincy operations and programs at Oaklawn.
◗ Lone Star Park has launched a racing club with plans to have a horse to race during the meet that opens April 19. There are 175 shares available at $500 each. The horse will be selected and trained by J.R. Caldwell. For more information, contact racingclub@lonestarpark.com