Kentucky Oaks 135 Update -- Justwhistledixie Works; Fitz Just Right Injured

Apr 25, 2009 by Gary Yunt

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BE FAIR / TWEETER – Thomas Van Meter and Charles Kidder’s Be Fair galloped an unspecified distance.  Trainer D. Wayne Lukas says it’s up to the others to “figure out” how far she went.

Lukas says Be Fair will likely work Sunday or Monday.

Marylou Whitney Stables Tweeter is being pointed toward Oaks 135 according to trainer Lukas.  She’s lightly raced with just three lifetime starts.  Her lone win came in her most outing, a maiden special weight event at Keeneland on April 3, where she led from gate to wire.

Tweeter worked five furlongs in :59.80 on Thursday, the best of 30 at the distance.

FITZ JUST RIGHT / JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Justwhistledixie and Fitz Just Right put in their final works for the Kentucky Oaks with a matching set of :49 breezes Friday morning with exercise rider Danny Wright handling both moves.

Justwhistledixie, winner of five straight races, was first out and put up fractions of :12.60, :24.40, :37 and out five furlongs in 1:02.20. Next came Fitz Just Right, who posted fractions of :12.40, :24.20, :36.60 and out in 1:02.40 according to Churchill Downs clockers.

However, after the work, Fitz Just Right was found to have a chip in her right front ankle and was declared out of the Oaks by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

“When she came back, she was not 100 percent ,” McLaughlin said. “We x-rayed the ankle and discovered the chip. She will get some time off. She is going to the Woodford Clinic in Versailles with Dr. (William) Baker.”

McLaughlin liked what he saw from the fillies in the works.

“They did it very nice and easy. I got Fitz Just Right in 48 and 4, so I might have missed it a tick,” McLaughlin said. “It was just a maintenance work because they worked fast last week together (1:00 for five furlongs at Keeneland).”

Julien Leparoux has the riding assignment on Justwhistledixie, who came out of her work fine according to McLaughlin.

FLYING SPUR – Mike Rutherford’s Flying Spur galloped Friday morning with exercise Joanna Trout up.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, the Churchill Downs’ all-time leader in victories and stakes scores, will be going after his initial Oaks victory with Flying Spur on Friday and try for a first Kentucky Derby win the following day with Hold Me Back.

Mott plans to work Flying Spur on Monday. Garrett Gomez, who won the 2007 Kentucky Oaks on Rags to Riches, is slated to ride Flying Spur on Friday.

GABBY’S GOLDEN GAL – Arnold Zetcher’s Gabby’s Golden Gal galloped a mile and a half under George Alvarez.

Trainer Bob Baffert plans to work the Sunland Park Oaks winner on Sunday. Victor Espinoza has the Oaks riding assignment.

NAN – J. Paul Reddam’s Nan working in company with Mizzen’s Wake, drilled five furlongs in 1:00.20 with Jesus Castanon aboard for the work.

Breaking off six lengths behind Mizzen’s Wake, Nan caught her workmate at the wire to record the fastest move of 39 at the distance for the morning.

“She went great,” said Aimee Dollase, the assistant trainer and sister of trainer Craig Dollase.  Her brother is at his home base at Hollywood Park and not expected to attend the Oaks. Corey Nakatani has the Oaks mount.

RACHEL ALEXANDRA – Likely Kentucky Oaks favorite Rachel Alexandra walked the shedrow at Barn 30 on Friday as a regular day off according to trainer Hal Wiggins.

Calvin Borel has the Oaks riding assignment and is scheduled to work Rachel Alexandra on Monday. L and M Partners LLC owns the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.