Kentucky Oaks Contenders (Part 3)

kentucky oaks

By Joe Quillen

We will look at the third set of four fillies who will be running in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs

#9 Everland (30/1)

  • Everland started with a maiden race at Kentucky Downs, which is a European style turf only course. She stalked the pace and weakened in the stretch. Can’t fault her for that. Kentucky Downs is a tough track for even the most seasoned turf horses.
  • Dropped back some in October over the border in Canada at Woodbine. Closed well on the outside to get third.
  • Went back to Kentucky to race at Turfway Park over the winter months. Showed up in a race at the end of November. She stalked the leader but tired in the stretch.
  • Everland was dropped into a maiden claimer in late December and enjoyed the class drop. Ended up getting claimed for 30k. Was near the back of the pack early on and had to sharply take up approaching the final turn. Did not faze her as she quickly caught back up with the leaders and went to the inside again to win.
  • Showed back up in February in a starter allowance. Once again, she was near the back of the pack and found a hole between horses to draw off at just under 16/1 odds.
  • Entered in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes on March 1. Was dead last early on, made her move on the far turn. But she was much wider than previous races and couldn’t do better than fourth.
  • Wasn’t as far back as previous races. Seemed a bit blocked at the top of the rail, but got the parting of the Red Sea to win the Bourbonette Oaks at 11/1.

Everland has not raced on dirt in her career. If she can handle the dirt, she could be dangerous. She will definitely get the distance. The question is how does she transition to dirt.

#10 Into Champagne (30/1)

  • Had an impressive debut at Ellis Park. Was not far behind the leaders. Took over without much asking and powered away to win.
  • Came back in January at Gulfstream Park. Was behind a couple of leaders going six furlongs in the Glitter Woman. Needed room on the turn, found a seam at the top of the lane and won off the layoff by about a length and a half.
  • Finished second in the Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream. Broke outward at the start. Was never getting Fiona’s Magic but made a nice move outside the leader and just missed.
  • Went for the lead in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). It wasn’t that fast of a pace, but I will argue that if you have a lot of horses around you, you will fold like she did here. Still finished third despite getting passed in the short stretch.

Into Champagne needs to stalk and not be on the lead. But I don’t think she will be there in the end.

#11 Ways and Means (5/1)

  • She debuted at Saratoga in August. She stalked the leaders and took off while 5 or 6 wide on the turn to destroy a maiden field at first asking.
  • Ran on closing weekend at Saratoga in the Spinaway (G1). Had some issues down the backstretch of this seven-furlong race. Made a huge wide move on the turn and could not get by Brightwork in the stretch. Impressive second nonetheless.
  • Got bounced around approaching the first turn in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in the first race after a layoff of almost 7 months. Went for the lead on the backstretch while wide. Took the lead in the stretch but Power Squeeze was too tough in the stretch.

Ways and Means will be second race off the layoff in the Kentucky Oaks. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is favored here. But could she be distance limited? Her sire Practical Joke has his offspring win at only a 6.4 furlong average per win.

kentucky oaks

#12 Power Squeeze

  • Debuted at Delaware Park in August. She hopped at the start and was way behind the rest of the field down the backstretch. Finished fourth by about three lengths in a troubled start.
  • Went wide on a sloppy Monmouth Park track. Hasn’t shown much at the start, but does know how to close.
  • Was closer to the pace in an off the turf race at Delaware Park in October. She drew off in the stretch and took advantage of being a “main track only” entry in this race.
  • Returned to the races on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream in the Cash Run Stakes and was closer to the pace in this one turn mile. She was about five or six wide and closed on the outside to win going away by five lengths.
  • Ran in the Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs and was stalking the pace. Made her move up the inside this time and drew off. She did things differently here and still won.
  • Made a powerful stretch move in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) to defeat Ways and Means and Into Champagne

The light went on when she started racing a route of ground (one mile or more). She will get the distance and could be a long shot chance here.

We have four more horses to look at and that will be in the final part of my Kentucky Oaks preview.