Crazy Beautiful better prepared for Gulfstream Oaks

Last year, the Gulfstream Park Oaks proved to be the coming-out party for Swiss Skydiver, who not only won that race but would go on to win four more stakes – including the Preakness – on her way to being crowned champion of the 3-year-old filly division.

Her trainer, Ken McPeek, hopes Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks is a launching point for a big year for Crazy Beautiful, who will face six rivals in the 1 1/16mile race that offers the winner 100 qualifying points toward the April 30 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

The complexion of the Gulfstream Park Oaks changed Wednesday when the undefeated Malathaat was not entered in the race. On Wednesday, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, head of Shadwell Stable, which owns Malathaat, died. According to Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Malathaat, there will be a 10-day moratorium on Shadwell runners. Malathaat is now possible for the Grade 1 Ashland on April 3 at Keeneland.

Crazy Beautiful, a daughter of Liam’s Map, finished second to 52-1 Wholebodemeister in the Grade 2 Davona Dale on Feb. 27. McPeek thought that was a solid enough effort, considering he felt he had the filly less than 100 percent fit for her 3-year-old debut.

“She was only about 80 to 85 percent for the race,” McPeek said. “She ran good, the winner was scooting away from everybody. I thought it was a good return for her. We’re pretty confident heading into this weekend.”

At 2, Crazy Beautiful won the Ellis Park Debutante and finished second to stablemate Simply Ravishing in the Grade 1 Alcibiades.

McPeek said in her most recent workout, Crazy Beautiful went in company with Simply Ravishing, who is pointing to a return in the Ashland.

Jose Ortiz rides Crazy Beautiful from post 3.

While Pletcher will not have Malathaat to run in the Gulfstream Park Oaks, he will send out Con Lima. A daughter of Commissioner, Con Lima has run four times on turf at this meet, with two seconds and two wins. At 2, Con Lima had a win and three seconds in four dirt races. She won her maiden over a fast dirt track by 5 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs last July at Gulfstream.

Pletcher said that he and owner Aaron Wellman were considering running Con Lima in the Oaks even before the defection of Malathaat.

“She has good form on turf and dirt, so we felt like this was an opportunity to give her another try on the dirt and see how she fares,” said Pletcher, a four-time winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks. “The distance is fine, the inside draw is fine. She’s usually forwardly placed. Depending how much initiative the other horses show, she could be the speed of the race.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Con Lima from the rail.

Dale Romans has won three of the last six runnings of the Gulfstream Oaks, most recently in 2018 with Coach Rocks. Saturday, he’ll send out the uncoupled entry of Bow Bow Girl and Len Lo Lady.

Bow Bow Girl, a daughter of Oxbow, is coming off a 4 1/2-length maiden score going the Oaks distance. She raced on the front end that day, but Romans doesn’t think that position is necessary for her to be successful.

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem to sit off,” Romans said. “I just want her to have a clean trip. We’ve always thought a lot of her, and it looked like her last race she put it together.”

Len Lo Lady is just 1 for 8, but Romans believes she’s a filly on the improve.

“I think she’s changing the right way,” Romans said. “I didn’t think she had the best of trips last time.”

Millefeuille, second to Malathaat in the Grade 2 Demoiselle last year, comes off a well-beaten seventh-place finish in the Davona Dale, a race in which she got pinched at the five-sixteenths and retreated.

Competitive Speed, third in the Davona Dale at 53-1, and Pens Street, fourth in the Davona Dale at 84-1, complete the field.

The Gulfstream Oaks goes as race 12 on the 14-race card.

COADY PHOTOGRAPHY Crazy Beautiful wins the Ellis Park Debutante in August. The Gulfstream Oaks will be her second start as a 3-year-old.