Clairiere, Journey Column Renew Rivalry In Fair Grounds Oaks – Horse Racing Information

Karen

Clairiere races past Travel Column to get the Rachel Alexandra Stakes beneath Joe Talamo



The score is tied at just one apiece. One thing will have to give when Clairiere and Travel Column fulfill for the third time in a row, this time with a large amount a lot more than the $400,000 that is on the line in Saturday’s TwinSpires.com Good Grounds Oaks (G2) at Honest Ground Race Study course & Slots. The tremendously talented 3-calendar year-old fillies satisfy all over again, with a berth into Churchill Downs’ April 30 Kentucky Oaks Offered by Longines ready in the equilibrium, alongside with 170 qualifying factors for the race, on a 100-40-20-10 scale.

The Oaks is a deserving supporting element to the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and adds lots of intrigue to a 14-race card that capabilities eight stakes. Very long on historical past, 6 of the very last 16 winners of the Truthful Grounds Oaks have absent on to double at Churchill Downs, with the last currently being Untapable in 2014.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Oaks drew a subject of eight, even though all eyes will be on Stonestreet Stables’ homebred Clairiere (publish 6 at 5-2 on Mike Diliberto’s early morning line, with Joe Talamo to trip) and OXO Equine’s Travel Column (write-up 8 at 2-1 with Florent Geroux).

Clairiere pulled off a slight upset when she conquer Journey Column in the neighborhood February 13 Rachel Alexandra (G2), successful a stretch duel by a neck for trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the nearby Oaks a few time and has pulled off the Oaks double twice, with Summerly in in 2005 and again with Untapable. Clairiere, a regally-bred daughter of Curlin out of the various quality 1 winner Cavorting, was generating her seasonal debut and first begin considering the fact that operating 2nd to Travel Column in Churchill’s Golden Road (G2) in November, in what was just her second lifetime commence. Clairiere has closed from at or close to the back again in all 3 vocation starts off, and in an Oaks with out a large amount of early speed, she will when once more have to make up floor on Vacation Column. No matter, Asmussen is searching forward to renewing the rivalry.

“Rubber match, proper, with two features fillies,” Asmussen stated. “The trip labored out correctly for us in the Rachel Alexandra. At a mile-and-a-sixteenth, I assume the fillies are competitive. It can be the very same distance on Saturday. We sense truly very good about our potential customers heading ahead.”

Journey Column misplaced nothing at all in defeat as the even-dollars most loved in the Rachel Alexandra for trainer Brad Cox, who received his 1st nearby Oaks very last yr with Bonny South and has received two of the final three Kentucky Oaks as perfectly. Vacation Column has every single correct to change the tables on Clairiere, as she was pressured to make initially operate and exhausted only slightly in what was also her very first start off given that the Golden Street. It was in that 1-length win at Churchill that the Frosted filly arrived to nationwide interest, as she encountered lots of difficulties early and late yet received going absent in what was evidently a coming-out overall performance. Journey Column is 2-for-4 life time and Cox is expecting yet another forward shift with a filly who should have a tactical edge on her primary rival.

“I imagine she ought to get a good stalking vacation from our publish,” Cox claimed. “There’s no rate in the race. We’re not likely to sit back again there and give anyone the race. We failed to acquire (the Rachel Alexandra) but we were really, very pleased with the comeback and we be expecting her to move ahead off that return. She’s a very, pretty superior do the job horse and she’s been schooling great considering that that race.”

Joel Politi’s Li’l Tootsie (submit 4 at 4-1 with Luis Saez) is 2-for-3 in her vocation for coach Tom Amoss, with all 3 starts coming at Truthful Grounds. The daughter of Tapiture aired at 6 furlongs in her next commence then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles and once again seemed very good, settling early then obtaining room together the rail to gain a February 21 optional-claimer in the slop. Amoss and Politi teamed in 2019 with Serengeti Empress, who starred locally and went on to acquire the Kentucky Oaks. Li’l Tootsie has however to exhibit she can engage in on a phase like that, but Amoss continue to enters with a great deal of self-assurance.

“To say that we are in deep h2o is probably real, but at the identical time this is a filly who can cope with deep water she may well be in the deep finish of the pool but she’s undertaking the backstroke,” Amoss stated. “She’s a fantastic horse and she’s a single that can maintain her possess with any of the fillies in this nation. Which is not only a trainer’s belief, but it exhibits in the speed figures. The Ragozin amount is incredibly, extremely very good.”

A pair of Gulfstream Park invaders increase to the depth of what is the best Oaks prep to date. Shadwell Stable’s homebred Zaajel (write-up 1 at 8-1 with Irad Ortiz Jr.) in undefeated in two begins for Todd Pletcher. The daughter of Road Feeling gained twice at 7 furlongs at Gulfstream, which includes the January 30 Forward Gal (G3), however she’ll clearly have to boost in what will be her two-change debut. Zaajel has settled just off a fast pace in each her operates, and with an inside of draw in what is a paceless Oaks, could discover herself on the lead in an attempt to give Pletcher his 3rd Oaks acquire, to go with Unrestricted Price range (2013) and Ashado (2004), who also went on to win at Churchill.

Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Compulsory (submit 5 at 5-1 with Jose Ortiz) is an additional who should really be near in her two-turn debut for trainer Bill Mott. The Curlin filly did not hearth when a troubled fourth on debut at Belmont Park in Oct but set it all collectively in her up coming commence February 7 at Gulfstream, when she stretched out to a one-convert mile and drew off with relieve.

Franco Meli’s homebred Il Malocchio (article 7 at 15-1 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) was 3rd in Tampa Bay Downs’ February 6 Suncoast in her seasonal debut and to start with commence for coach Kenny McPeek, although Brad King, Jim Cone, Scott Bryant, and Stan and Suzanne Kirby’s Moon Swag (put up 2 at 20-1 with Adam Beschizza) was a distant third in the Rachel Alexandra but is on the increase for coach Brendan Walsh, and Are living Oak Plantation’s Souper Sensational (write-up 3 at 15-1 with John Velazquez) was next in the community Silverbulletday in February for coach Mark Casse but will attempt to bounce back from a well-crushed sixth in the Rachel Alexandra.

Added Good Grounds Oaks Estimates:

Amoss, Li’l Tootsie: On the lookout the industry more than, the a person matter that captures your consideration, you can find no serious pacesetter in the race. These horses are all stalk and bounce on the lead twice. If you glance at our previous route race, which is a finish contradiction to the two sprints in conditions of style, you have to talk to your self ‘What are you heading to get this time all over from Li’l Tootsie?’ I strongly believe that she’s heading to be significantly sharper out of the gate and much far more associated with what’s heading on early in the race. I am not right here to tell you that she’s going to be the pacemaker, for the reason that that’s not definitely that vital to me, I think she’s pretty able of working perfectly from anywhere on the track, I just believe that she’s going to break sharper and be a section of that 1st wave of horses. I believe her God-offered athleticism will come into participate in.

I have a very great connection with (Luis) Saez and his agent Kiaran McLaughlin, a previous trainer, and we have had a great deal of accomplishment with them. Luis won two quality 1’s for me very last calendar year with Serengeti Empress and No Parole and when I found out he was coming into town, I advised them I would support them all I can. I consider he’s just one of the most effective riders in the complete place and I’m honored to have him on my horses.

She’s bought 3 races and a route underneath her belt. When you appear at her in the paddock, she’s a extremely fantastic seeking, athletic filly. She is also far more feminine-hunting than say, Serengeti Empress, so she won’t need as substantially. She will get a large amount out of her gallops, she’s pretty enthusiastic in the morning, she loves to practice. With what we’ve bought coming in advance, I just you should not feel like she requires to be set down challenging any more. We did that. We bought to wherever we wanted to be. I’m very relaxed with how we’ve qualified coming into the race and the time among races.

Walsh, Moon Swag: She runs properly at Good Grounds. She hasn’t done something wrong this winter season and it is really one more probability to get some beneficial black kind. Realistically we are searching at operating for a inserting, but who understands. She’ll be managing at them at the end, and if there is a pace meltdown, we might get blessed. She’s difficult temperamentally, but she’s gotten much better all the time. 3 or four months back you would not have thought that she is exactly where she is now with a live shot at a race like this. Because we’ve gotten to know her, she’s found consistency by her plan. She just demands to maintain progressing in her races and I can not see why she’d stop now.

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