Kentucky Oaks

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley As spectacular as Gamine (Into Mischief) was in the GI Longines Test S., the win failed to answer the only question that remains unanswered when it comes to a filly who shows superstar potential. She demolished her opposition, including the talented Venetian Harbor (Munnings) in the seven-furlong race, but will she be able to do the same at nine furlongs in the GI Kentucky Oaks? Her two biggest wins, the Test and the GI Longines Acorn S., have come at a mile or...

You'd be hard-pressed to find a performance by a 3-year-old filly in the past decade as jaw-dropping as what Michael Lund Peterson's Gamine (Into Mischief) produced in the GI Longines Acorn S. June 20 at Belmont. Considered the current top dog of a loaded sophomore filly division in advance of the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks off that effort, the 'TDN Rising Star'< will turn back to a sprint as a prohibitive favorite in Saturday's GI Longines Test S. at Saratoga. Having lofty expectations attached to her ever since she...

It was a busy Saturday at Keeneland for the nation's top 3-year-old fillies, as a field of five contested the GI Ashland S. and Swiss Skydiver (Daredveil) ventured outside her division as her connections boldly took on males in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. At the end of the day, the deck was shuffled some, but not much. Speech (Mr. Speaker), already a highly regarded Oaks contender, won the Ashland and Swiss Skydiver was terrific in a second-place finish against the boys. With the Oaks less than eight weeks...

Bruce Lunsford's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini) returned to trainer Tom Drury's Skylight Training Center base in Goshen, Kentucky Saturday night and options for the colt's next start are still open. "I am going to get with Bruce in the next couple of days and figure out what we will do," Drury said. "Art Collector will stay at Skylight for a little while because it is quieter there and then like we have done before, two weeks or so before he runs we will bring him...

Champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) will face four overmatched rivals in her return to graded competition in Saturday's GII Ruffian S. at Belmont Park. After missing her entire 4-year-old season due to several different setbacks, the Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables colorbearer made her first start since capturing the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff a winning one, annexing an optional claimer in impressive fashion in the Churchill Downs slop May 16. Monomoy Girl, winner of the 2018 GI Kentucky Oaks, is a perfect three-for-three at the...

The speedy Venetian Harbor (Munnings) will look to run five rivals off their feet in Saturday's GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland. A runaway heroine of Santa Anita's GII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 8, she set a fast pace and only found the streaking GII Toyota Blue Grass S.- bound Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) too tough as the 4-5 favorite in the GIII Fantasy S. going this same distance at Oaklawn last time May 1. Venetian Harbor fired a five-furlong warning shot in :58 3/5 (1/29) for trainer Richie Baltas...

In theory, all horses are created equal. Then stuff happens. Between their genes, accidents of life, and the designs of those who raise and train them, they develop strengths and flaws. And we end up, like George Orwell's pigs, with "some animals more equal than others." After hundreds of years of observation, however, we have concluded that one half of the breed is born with an athletic superiority over the other. And we duly grant Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) a five-pound concession for daring to square up to males in the...

A total of 18 stakes events, topped by the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby and Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks are on tap for the 2020 September Meet at Churchill Downs. The September Meet stakes schedule is led by the revised Kentucky Derby Week, which was moved from April 25-May 2 to Sept. 1-5 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will feature 14 graded stakes, including the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic and the GI Derby City Distaff, formerly known as the Humana Distaff. A new addition to the...

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), heroine of Oaklawn's GIII Honeybee S. Mar. 7, is the clear-cut horse to beat in Wednesday evening's GIII Indiana Oaks. The bay followed a well-beaten third behind division heavyweights Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Venetian Harbor (Munnings) in the GIII Fantasy S. May 1 with a powerful optional claiming tally at Churchill Downs last time June 5. "She ran a huge one," trainer Brad Cox said. "We were looking just to get a race in her between the Fantasy and wherever we ended up, which ended up being the...

Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) has been nominated for both the GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GII Toyota Blue Grass S., both to be run July 11 at Keeneland, and trainer Ken McPeek said he will give strong consideration to both races for his 3-year-old filly. "I'll probably run her in the Ashland, but there are a lot of things to consider," McPeek said. "For one, I have another nice filly for the Ashland in Envoutante (Uncle Mo). With all these 3-year-old races being run around the same time, I'd imagine...

The Sept 5 GI Kentucky Derby will be held with a limited amount of spectators in the stands, it was announced Thursday by Churchill Downs. "We are happy to announce that we will conduct Derby week with fans," Churchill Downs President Kevin Flanery said. "It's going to be a different experience. This is a different year." Churchill's plans to conduct the races with fans was approved by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and state health officials. The Derby was moved from its traditional spot, the first Saturday in May, to September...

Since the last TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) won the GII Santa Anita Oaks and Gamine (Into Mischief) dominated in the GI Acorn S. Two very good fillies, they have moved to the head of the class and no one else comes close. A Swiss Skydiver-Gamine showdown in the GI Kentucky Oaks would make it one of the best races of the year. With more than two months left before the Oaks, most in the group will have at least one more prep. The GI Ashland July...