Lady Apple Seeks Second Win of 2020 in Azeri

Phoenix Thoroughbreds and KatieRich Stables' Lady Apple will look to add a fifth stakes win and third consecutive victory to her résumé March 14 when she faces a field of six others in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

A 4-year-old daughter of Curlin , Lady Apple enters off a successful 2020 debut in the Jan. 26 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park. She has only missed the winner's circle twice in her past eight starts for trainer Steve Asmussen, the only missteps coming when she finished third behind winner Serengeti Empress in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs and had an off the board effort in the Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. 

Lady Apple's previous stakes wins came at 3 when she took the Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn, the Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows, and the Remington Park Oaks (G3) at Remington Park. The filly has been training steadily at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and turned in her final work at Oaklawn March 9 when she breezed four furlongs in :51 2/5.

Lady Apple will partner with jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. from post 4. 

Serengeti Empress, who finished second in the Houston Ladies Classic, is looking for her first win in six starts since taking the American classic in May. The Tom Amoss trainee has performed admirably following the Oaks, posting runner-up efforts in the Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park and Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga as well as a third in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita Park. 

Serengeti Empress will leave post 5 under jockey Joe Talamo. 

Trainer Brad Cox will send out Sather Family homebred Mylady Curlin, a 5-year-old Curlin mare who finished fourth in the Houston Ladies Classic. She picked up her first graded stakes win last year in the Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. She followed that effort with two more stakes wins—the Mari Hulman George Memorial Stakes and the Lady Jacqueline Stakes—before trying her luck at Churchill Downs. She hit the board in both the Locust Grove Stakes (G3) and Chilukki Stakes (G3) before winning the Falls City Handicap (G2) over 1 1/8 miles. 

Joel Rosario will partner with Mylady Curlin from post 2. 

From the barn of Larry Jones, the 4-year-old Istan filly Street Band will also be looking for the first victory of 2020. A winner of the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and Indiana Oaks (G3) last year, the filly finally earned top honors in September when she took the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing by a head. 

Owned by Ray Francis, Jones, Cindy Jones, Medallion Racing, and MyRaceHorse Stable, Street Band finished third in the Houston Ladies Classic. She will break from the rail with regular rider Sophie Doyle. 

Entries: Azeri S. (G2)

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 14, 2020, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $350,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Street Band (KY)	Sophie Doyle	117	J. Larry Jones	3/1
2	2Mylady Curlin (KY)	Joel Rosario	119	Brad H. Cox	4/1
3	3Saracosa (KY)	Martin Garcia	117	Cipriano Contreras	20/1
4	4Lady Apple (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	119	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
5	5Serengeti Empress (KY)	Joseph Talamo	117	Thomas M. Amoss	9/5
6	6Rahway (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	115	Michael J. Maker	20/1
7	7Awe Emma (KY)	Richard E. Eramia	117	Dallas Stewart	12/1