Two Baffert Hopefuls Work Toward Oaks; Strong Gallop for On Fire Baby

Apr 24, 2012 Travers Manley & Gary Yunt

Mike Walker and Lou Sutterfield’s Amie’s Dini, runner-up in the Honeybee (Grade III) and Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park for trainer Ron Moquett, walked onto the Churchill Downs track when it opened at 5:45 a.m. (all times Eastern) Tuesday and jogged once around the one-mile oval under Laura Moquett.

BELIEVE YOU CAN – Brereton Jones’ Believe You Can, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) in her most recent start, “came out of her Monday work fine,” according to trainer Larry Jones.

Believe You Can walked the shedrow at Barn 35 Tuesday morning on the heels of a bullet, five-eighths work in :59 on Monday under jockey Rosie Napravnik. Believe You Can’s final work for the Oaks is scheduled for Sunday.

COLONIAL EMPRESS – Bluegrass Hall, LLC’s Colonial Empress walked the shedrow at trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ barn.

EDEN’S MOON / JEMIMA’S PEARL / MAMMA KIMBO – Two of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Oaks hopefuls worked over a fast track after the renovation break and a third got her first outing beneath the Twin Spires Tuesday morning.

Gillian Campbell, R Group Management, Ltd. and Greenwood Lodge Farm’s Jemima’s Pearl worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 under Shaun Bridgmohan as the workmate for Arkansas Derby (GI) winner Bodemeister. The filly’s clocking was the sixth fastest of 23 at the distance.

Baffert said that Joe Talamo, who was aboard Jemima’s Pearl for her third-place finish behind stablemate Mamma Kimbo in the Fantasy (GII), will have the mount in the Oaks.

Baffert was pleased with Jemima Pearl’s work and also the five-furlong move in 1:01.80 by Mamma Kimbo.

With Martin Garcia aboard and working by herself from the 4 ½-furlong pole to the 7 ½-furlong pole, Mamma Kimbo recorded fractions of :12.20, :24.40, :37, :49 and out six furlongs in 1:15 and seven-eighths in 1:28.20.

“I thought she worked well,” Baffert said of Mamma Kimbo, who won the Fantasy in just her second start.

Mike Smith, who was aboard for the Fantasy victory, has the Oaks mount.

Kaleem Shah’s Eden’s Moon, who arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday afternoon from her Southern California base, jogged once around with George Alvarez up while accompanied by a pony.

Winner of the Las Virgenes (GI) and then third in Santa Anita Oaks (GI), Eden’s Moon worked five furlongs at Santa Anita on Sunday before shipping here. Garcia, who has been aboard the filly in all four of her starts, has the Oaks mount.

KARLOVY VARY – Alex Campbell’s Karlovy Vary was scheduled for a midday arrival at Churchill Downs from Keeneland. Winner of the Central Bank Ashland (GI) in her most recent start, Karlovy Vary will be housed in Barn 28.

Trained by Rusty Arnold, Karlovy Vary is expected to work Saturday. James Graham has the Oaks mount.

OAKS LILY – Jonathan Rey, Javier Sarmiento and Dante Zanelli Jr.’s Oaks Lily, a recent maiden winner at Keeneland, arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday in hopes of making the Kentucky Oaks field.

Oaks Lily, who has no graded stakes earnings and would need a couple of defections from horses under consideration for the Oaks to make the 14-horse starting gate, galloped 1 ½ miles after the renovation break under Patricia Eldridge.

“She is doing super and we are moving forward with her,” said Zanelli, who is overseeing the filly’s preparations here. “We will see how she does and work Friday or Saturday.”          

ON FIRE BABY – Anita Cauley’s On Fire Baby galloped 1 ½ miles under jockey Joe Johnson shortly after 6 o’clock, finishing the final part of the exercise with vigor.

“I got her last half-mile in :54 or :55 and the last quarter in :27,” trainer Gary Hartlage said. “We’ll come back and do it again Friday or Saturday depending on the weather.”

SUMMER APPLAUSE – Gillian Campbell, R Group Management, Ltd. and Greenwood Lodge Farm’s Summer Applause jogged a mile under exercise rider Jeff Lopez shortly after the track opened Tuesday morning.

Trained by Bret Calhoun, Summer Applause enters the Oaks off a runner-up finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) that was preceded by a victory in the Rachel Alexandra (GIII).

Garrett Gomez has the mount on Summer Applause, whose next work is slated for Friday, depending on weather.

YARA – Peras International’s Yara, upset winner over Grace Hall in the Davona Dale (GII), galloped 1 ½ miles at Churchill Downs’ Trackside Training Center under regular exercise rider Mario Diaz.

The chestnut daughter of Put It Back is scheduled to van to Churchill Downs on Friday morning to work beneath the Twin Spires. She will then van back to Trackside where she will remain until early next week.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2012, and its Spring Meet is scheduled for April 28-July 1. The track has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record eight times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

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